NOLMS:2016.068.001

Pink and green broadly striped silk dress with matching separate pelerine. The green srtipe is dark at each edge and fades to pale green in the centre. The dress has a round neck, inside which a broad band of lace has been sewn - a design of flowers and leaves embroidered onto net. The lace has been pleated and stay-stitched halfway up around the neck, possibly to fall forwards and fill the neckline in wear. Below the net, the neckline is finished with a band of dress fabric 1cm wide, piped at each edge with dark green contrasting fabric. The dress fastens down the back to the waist with six small mother of pearl buttons. The top three are patterned - 10 tiny raised circles around four sewing holes, and a border of tiny lines etched around the outer edge. The bottom three buttons are plain - the middle of these slightly thicker and darker. On the left hand side of the bodice hand-stitched buttonholes are stitched into the dress lining and concealed by a fly front. The dress is slightly high-waisted, the bodice featuring six ruched panels of the fabric divided by seven bands of fabric edged with dark green piping as round the neck. The panels taper from the shoulder and are narrower where they meet the waistline. Both ruching and bands are cut on the diagonal. The bands appear to have been attached after the bodice was lined, as the stitching goes right throgh. The side panels of the bodice, with the stripes also diagonal, are top-stitched onto under arm panels at each side. The sleeves are very full at the shoulder and narrow down to the wrist. The volume of gathers at the shoulder and a section of crescent-shaped padding ensure that they are set in to stand proud of the arm and really puff up. The sleeves are lined with the edges oversewn by hand. Inside the sleeves, bands of sitffener are sewn to form a Y-shape which again seem to have supported the sleeves to have no contact with the body and appear full. Inside the underarm, a triangle of fabric is let in just above the wrist. The bottom of the sleeve is edged with matching lace, with the top of each scallop tacked down with strong thread. On the back of the bodice, the stripes run vertically from shoulder to waistband, and are gathered into the waistband at each side. The waistband consists of a horizontal piece of fabric with the green stripe running centrally, also piped top and bottom with dark green. The waistband appears to have some sort of extension added to the back. T fastens with two rows of two hooks but has extra rows of blanket-stitched loops to fasten (two rows of cream and three bottle green loops). The waist band is lined with coarser fabric. The skirt consists of five straight panels with the stripes running vertically, has deep gathers at the waistband, at the sides and across the back (flat across the front), and is simply overstitched to the waistband. There is a gap in the centre back seam below the waist. The skirt is lined, with some padding stitched between the layers from about haldway down to the hem. Above the padding, a coarser-woven lining is used. In the bottom left side panel of the skirt, there is no padding, and different lining is used. The hem is handstitched onto the lining, with a section re-sewn in green thread. In place, the silk has worn and left holes - frequently around the hem, under the arms of both sleeves and side bodice and in frequent places down the button and button-hole panels and turnings. Here, wear is especially pronounced at the neck and waist. Under the arms, the damage has been darned with running stitches. The pereline has two layers,a smal and a deeper one, which are seamed centre back to give a chevron effect. The edges of both layers are edged with dark green corded piping, and trimmed with small green triangles along the whole of the length. Each pereline section is lined with calico and handsewn. The pereline fastens with a black hook and silver eye. Some stitching has come undone on the neck edge, and there is some blue spotted staining on the underneath. Also a small patch where the fabric has given way. DIMENSIONS: DRESS: L: 1660mm, Waist: 700mm PERELINE: L: 560mm, W: 280mm

NOLMS:2016.068.001

dress
dress

1830s