1893 Wine silk dress
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1893 A wine silk dress.
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The back of the dress mounted
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Detail showing the extra piece at the top of a sleeve.
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The pocket inside the right-hand edge; the oversewn eyes on the edge can be seen.
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The label of the makers, Gainsford, on the inside waistband.
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The name written on ribbon on the inside waistband of the bodice; a similar ribbon is on the skirt waistband.
Description
The dress is in wine silk faille, and the bodice and skirt are separate.
The bodice and sleeves are lined with Ivory cotton sateen which has printed stripes. There are bones on all darts and seams, and the inside waistband, 1¼" wide, is faced with black silk and has two hooks and eyes. A watch pocket is inside the right-hand front edge
The centre front is fastened with 17 hooks and eyes on alternate sides; the eyes have been oversewn. Alternating hooks with eyes would make the fastening more secure.
The fronts have one pleat into the shoulder seams; loose panels sit over them, diagonally draped from three pleats half way down the armhole seam and overlapping half way down. The one over the top ends at the waist a little to the left of the centre front point. A folded strip of silk, 1⅝" wide, covers the bodice front opening from the neck, 10¾" down to where the draped fronts cross over; the end is secured by a hook on the end and a worked bar on the bodice front.
The stand collar is 2½" high and has ivory curb braid on the top edge; two hooks and eyes fasten it at the centre front.
Extra panels at the top of the sleeves are gathered into the armhole seam at the top, and pleated into covered button, 8½" down.
The skirt is pleated into a 2⅜" wide waistband, and has two hooks and eyes, 2" apart, along it at the centre back opening. It is lined with cotton sateen which has a stiffened frill of the faille, 3⅜" deep, on the outside of its hem, under the skirt.
There are two sets of tape ties to pull in the fullness at the back of the skirt, 5" down from the waist and 19" further down.
A pair of matching silk jersey gloves are not shown.
Contemporary illustrations
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Detail from a fashion plate in Weldon's Ladies' Journal, August 1890
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Detail from a fashion plate in Weldon's Ladies' Journal, August 1890
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Fashion drawing in The Housewife, November 1890
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Fashion drawing in The Queen, September 1892
History
The dress was made by Gainsford & Co, Albion House, Borough. SE, whose label is printed on the inside waistband. A piece of white silk ribbon is sewn on there with the name 'Miss Wood' written in pencil; Rose Wood lived in Crockenhill, Kent, and made trips to London to shop for clothes. The dress was acquired with the 1893 Brown felt hat and it is likely that they were worn together.