Beautiful Floral Ballgown Bodice with Contrast Piping 1850's

Authentic Antique Vintage Civil War 1800s 1860s Floral Silk Bodice Excellent

From the Seller

This is an absolutely AMAZING RARE FIND!

Genuine Authentic Civil War period silk bodice.

Floral pattern with robins egg blue striping! LACE ACCENTS!

This bodice is in such great condition, it’s ready to wear as is. There is some wear to it as pictured, some light separation in the silk. It has “old original repairs”. This piece is jus the BEST! Please refer to the photos for sizing. The pictures describe the sizing better then I could. If your a re-enactor or just a collector of the civil war period, this is a must have. THE MATERIAL IS STRONG!

From the Industrious Lady

It seems like every dress that I post I ooh and ahh over how amazing the dresses and garments are but this one is actually an enigma in many ways. What truly makes this amazing is the piping. I can count the number of contrast piping dresses out there on one hand, the most notable of which is the purple velvet dress worn by Mary Todd Lincoln. 

 

Victorian's loved their piping, and Beadle's Dime book even considers it to be one of the items needed for every sewing box, with both black and white cording to be used inside the piping. In this picture especially we can see where the bias strips have worn through showing the white cording used inside on the lower left corner

It is also interesting to note that double piping was used. 

Beadle's Dime Dressmaker guide actually mentions the tapes used above "Many French dress-makers also put tapes at the sideseams, to tie in the front, to keep the back more evenly in place" It might be even that this dress is from France as it has more style techniques, such as the piping, that were more rare on our side of the pond. Although it is now in Maryland, it may have been made in France and brought over to be worn in the States by a fashionable, upper class Lady who could afford a ballgown from Paris. 

Whatever its story, this lovely bodice gives a throwback to a time where care and love was put into each garment, and is a beauty unto its own right.