Fancy Dress Ball costume 1860's

FLORAL BROCADE SILK 3-PIECE ENSEMBLE, 1860


From the seller:

Black silk with polychrome floral brocade, back-lacing off-the-shoulder bodice with deep point; full skirt with box pleats; boned basque having narrow pagoda sleeve with white silk lining edged with furbelows and bottle-green ribbon. B-32, W-20, jacket L-23, skirt W-22, L-43. Tag indicated bought from Massachusetts dealer Boughner. Janet Arnold cataloging notebook notes "Worn at the Veiled Prophets Ball in St. Louis". (Alterations in progress, bodice lacking stays, short sleeves removed, trim detached from basque, shoulder seam separated, splits to waistband) fabric-excellent, dress good. 1680

From the Industrious Lady
How rare to see a dress that is not only a fancy dress ball costume but also has two bodices. Having two bodices was a common practice during a time when fabric was extremely expensive and a skirt wold take up several yards, and fabric back then was only 22" wide as opposed to out modern fabric that is often 44" plus wide.  Beadle's dime book Sewing and Millinery says that a skirt could take from 10 to 12 breadths of fabric to make a skirt. 




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