Dress (skirt and bodice)

A dark brown tafetta silk dress comprising a bodice and skirt. The bodice has a high collar, cream piping, pleated trim, long sleeves and fastens centre front with 9 groisgrain covered buttons, and comes to a sharp point at the front. It has a watch pocket on the right hip, fitted sleeves, and a rounded bustle tail, which is trimmed with pleats. The collar, cuffs, yoke and part of the back adorned with lace. The back also originally features two bows at the shoulder, one of which is missing.

The skirt comprises of 6 gores, and it flat at the front and curves out at the back. It would have originally been worn with a bustle. It has a self pocket at the right. The skirt features two tired of pleated frill and cream piping and a central rosette.

The skirt and bodice have been heavily modifed over time, and arrived at the museum with two remanants, one of which appears to be a very wide section from an 1850-60s skirt. The second remanent, which has two buttons, looks like a section from the back of an 1860s-70s skirt.

In its current form, the skirt and bodice appear to be mid-1870s, although the lace seems to be a later addition, and poorly applied considering the quality of the rest of the garment.