Last week I posted a 1910s frock by Mrs Dunstan, and while a few of you found points to quibble about, in general the consensus was a gasp of admiration and a chorus of ‘Stunnings!’, with a staggering 24 out of 45 10/10 ratings. Still, courtesy of the non-lovers, the overall rating was only 8.9 out of 10.
I know it’s winter, and coming up towards Christmas, but it doesn’t feel like it here in NZ. Asparagus is just winding up, cherries and berries are just starting, and the weather has been warm and muggy. Still, I feel I should post something a bit winter-y, holiday-y, and chocolate and plaid seem to fit the bill perfectly.
You’re going to have to use just a wee bit of imagination in rating this dress, as I only have two images of it: a rather uninspiring view of the dress on display in the ‘Our New Old Clothes’ exhibition from the Shippensburg University Fashion Archives, and a gorgeous detailed image of the bodice of the dress.
Let’s start with the detailed image:
Dress, late 1860s, Shippensburg University Fashion Archives
And now, the dress in its entirety on display:
Dress, late 1860s, Shippensburg University Fashion Archives
And a little closer:
Dress, late 1860s, Shippensburg University Fashion Archives, as featured in ‘Our New Old Clothes’
Between the two you can see the rich chocolate brown silk, enlivened by bias cut tartan trim, ‘prairie points’ around the bodice hem and sleeves, and shiny black buttons. The buttons go all the way down the skirt as well, and are fully functional. Shippensburg have indicated that the dress may have been re-made from an earlier garment, perhaps a wrapper.
The whole thing rather reminds me of a chocolate box tied up with a plaid ribbon, though that could be either a very good thing, or a very bad thing. What do you think? Lovely late-1860s winter warmth? Or too twee?
Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10.
