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All Entries: 2009 Most Beautiful Bustle Dress In the WORLD Contest by Contest on 05-15-2009

USA Entry 10.) Dress: 1885 Ball Gown

Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown

Seamstress: Catawba Kate

I made this 1885 ball gown for a SASS Regional banquet/ball in Georgia. The bodice, over skirt and train are a sage and purple flowered brocade with a lavender beaded trim. The butterfly train and the over skirt are edged in sage colored satin ruffles. The bodice is also trimmed in the lavender beaded trim and edged with a purple ruffle. The skirt is a purple satin trimmed with ruffles and 4 inch long purple beads. What I particularly like about this dress is that I've made it into an ensemble. In the second picture, you can see I've removed the butterfly train and am left with the over skirt. Not shown is a satin, sage colored skirt with an organza overlay to wear with the dress for other occasions.

USA Entry 9.) Dress: 1886 Black and Pink Silk Visiting Toilette

Category: Best Victorian Day Bustle Gown

Seamstress: Sweet Violet

My Mother has instilled within me a love of Victorian fashion. My family and I are members of SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) and we dress in the era 1865-1899 for our events. My mother and I also attend Victorian teas with her friends for which we dress in the Victorian fashion. This dress and hat was made by Sweet Violet. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and I am thrilled to be the owner of such a lovely creation. The dress is made of black and pink dupioni silk with vintage lace. The fabulous flower pot hat is made of parisisal straw, vintage ostrich feathers and an antique buckle. These photos were taken at the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC during a tea we attended.

USA Entry 8.) Dress: 1879 Vain Peacock Masquerade Ballgown

Category: Best Victorian Ball Gown

Seamstress: Fannie Kikinshoot http://www.carolinabelles.net/

I made this dress to wear to the SASS Yesteryear Masquerade Ball. The dress is made of Chinese Silk with self fabric ruching around the hem of the skirt. There are 452 peacock feathers that I hand-stitched to the four foot train, 213 Czechoslovakian crystals set on the front of the bodice and the skirt and a marabou ostrich feather boa stitched to the neckline of the bodice. I covered the shoes with the Chinese Silk and attached 50 peacock feathers to the back of each shoe. The mask was made by a mask artist in New Orleans, and was covered in the Chinese Silk, and of course more peacock feathers. I strutted into the ball as The Vain Peacock.

USA Entry 7.) Dress: 1876 Pink Silk Dupioni Day Toilette

Category: Best Victorian Day Bustle Gown

Seamstress: Tornado Alli

This is an 1876 gown that I made last year for the SASS Convention. It is made of dusty pink silk dupioni, trimmed in vintage lace with a Civil War era Chantilly lace shawl overlaying the overskirt. I couldn't bear to cut up the shawl so it is draped around the overskirt, and the ends are looped over to drape across the bustle. The skirt and overskirt are both trimmed with pink silk pleats and the skirt with a ruched grosgrain ribbon and pink gimp braid. The over skirt is trimmed in black gimp braid. The bodice is trimmed in pink pleats with black gimp braid and vintage lace at the neckline and the sleeves. I have a cute little pink silk hat that I made for this dress.

USA Entry 6.) Dress: 1881 Green silk Afternoon Gown with embroidered pink polka dots and pink silk

Category: Best Victorian Day Bustle Gown

Seamstress: Fannie Kikinshoot

I had seen this fabric several years ago and dreamed of making a dress from the beautiful polka dotted silk. I found a cabinet card from 1881 featuring a lady in a dress that had fabulous tabs down the front. That cabinet card, and the desire to have lots and lots of Victorian trim served as inspiration for the dress. There is a parasol pocket on the left side of the overskirt to accomodate the fabulous parasol a friend found for me on Ebay, to which, I just added the trim. I made the hat to match accessorizing it with an antique buckle, and fabulous ostrich feathers. I am a member of SASS and wear my dresses to SASS events, but also wear them to Victorian Teas with my girlfriends. I have been known to wear them while touring the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC.