1850 Printed cotton dress and cape
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1848-1855 A dress in printed cotton with matching cape.
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The dress and cape from the side
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The dress and cape from the back
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The dress mounted
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The back of the dress
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The end of one of the sleeves
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Detail of the printed cotton
Description
The thin cotton has an all-over print of trailing stems with flowers and leaves.
The bodice and skirt of the dress are separate.
The bodice and sleeves are mounted on white cotton; there are 11½" long bones each side on the front bodice and a 7½" one at the centre front. It opens down the centre back where there are 12 hooks and worked bars, and a hook and eye at the waist.
The sides of the front panels are loose over the cotton mounting, and have five pleats each side into the shoulders; the fullness is gathered in to a width of 3¾", which is 5" above the rounded point of the waist.
The neck and armhole seams of the bodice are piped.
A piped seam joins the lower edge of the bodice to the peplum which has a wavy edge and widens from 2" each side of the centre front point to 3¼" at its widest and 2½" at the centre back, with a 1¼" deep frill all round.
The sleeves flare out below the elbow where there are two pleats into the seam. A frill, 1" wide, is sewn in four scallops, round the lower sleeves, with its points 2¾" above the sleeve ends; there was a pearl button sewn on at each point but only three of these remain.
The skirt is cartridge pleated onto a ⅜" wide white tape waistband, and ⅝" wide tapes have been sewn onto each end to tie round the waist; these may have been added if the original tapes had been torn.
The side seams of the cape are shaped over the shoulders and flare out to go over the arms; the lower edges curve up to that point, where the ends of the dress sleeves are visible. There is a 3½" deep frill on the lower edge and a 3" deep frill above it. The neck edge and the side seams are piped.
The front edge has a buttonhole at the neck and two further down, 3½" apart; the corresponding button at the top is missing and the two others may be replacements.
The dress and cape have many tears and mends.
Contemporary illustrations
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Detail from a fashion plate, September 1848
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Detail from a cartton in Punch, 1851
