The Industrious Lady

April 19, 2020

1860's Civil War Era Silk & Wool Wedding Gown

From the Seller

1860's Civil War Era Silk & Wool Wedding Gown: This 1860's dress is made of a silk and wool blend in a butter/cream color. The style is from the Civil War Era. It is trimmed in ivory silk ribbon and has silk satin buttons covered with a fine tulle. She was quite petite. The bust is 32, the upper waist is 25 and the slope shoulders are 18 inches across. The sleeve length is 19 inches. The front length from the waist to the hem is 38.5 inches and the back length from the waist to the hem is 54 inches. The bottom of the skirt measures 157 inches around. The skirt is totally lined in polished cotton which has some age discoloration but is till sturdy. The outer dress has some spots scattered on it, but nothing offensive. See photos. As you can see from the pictures this dress makes a lovely display. The dress is a one piece garment. There is one button missing from the bodice and the hooks and eyes are missing from part of the waist band. There is wear to the collar and the left front edge of the bodice top by the buttons. This is not seen when the dress is buttoned up. The ribbon tie is not original to the period of the dress. It is a Rayon Moiré. The fabric of the dress is sturdy and although there are some spots I didn't find any holes. This dress would have probably had a sash tied around the waist. It is an incredible piece of fashion history and one of the prettiest Civil War era gowns I have seen on eBay in a while.

From the Industrious Lady

Later War, most likely not a wedding dress as light color dresses like this were worn for every day wear. I would put it at 1865 or 1866 as it has an eliptical shape, and it has functioning buttons while earlier dresses often times had buttons for decoration but actually closed with hidden hook and eyes.