Broderie Anglaise dress

From underwear to outerwear

This full length Edwardian dress is made from machine made broderie anglaise, that is a type of whitework embroidery in which round or oval holes are pierced in the material, usually cotton, and the cut edges then overcast. In the 19th century broderie anglaise was predominantly used for nightwear and underclothing, rather than fashionable outer wear. However, in the early 20th century broderie anglaise became a popular fabric for summer attire. The maker of this dress has combined panels of machine made broderie anglaise with rows of small pin-tucks to great decorative effect.