1993.40.

2a-b Wedding Dress, 1886 Brown silk faille, tan cotton twill, starched net Scale: 1 box = 1" The bodice and sleeve are fully flatlined with twill. The bodice is constructed to close at center front with self-fabric shank buttons, with a small placket on the top half of the right side; this closure is covered with an unlined, shaped panel with buttons running down both sides. The panel is sewn over the front dart on the left side, and hooks to thread eyes along the dart on the right, a hook under each decorative button. A rectangular silk panel is gathered to 2" on top and bottom with several rows of stitches and sewn behind the shaped panel at dotted line; the top edge is enclosed in the collar, which is two layers of faille interlined with starched net. The collar encloses the entire neckline up to the level of the top buttonhole on the right side. The pleated peplum has a 1.75" deep hem facing of faille. The two-piece sleeves are also flatlined, and are decorated with an interlined cuff, the upper edge of which is slipstitched to the sleeve. The shoulder and cuff seams are marked on the sleeve. The skirt is fully lined with polished cotton; the faille comes up to the dotted line on each panel. The seam to the right of the center front panel is open between the marks for the pocket, which is faced with faille to the dashed line. The lower edge of the skirt, backed with starched net from the dashed line, is covered with a 4" high double-box-pleated self-fabric ruffle also backed with starched net, the top of every other pleat folded down in front over the machine-stitching that attaches it to the skirt (" below the top edge of the ruffle). Each top pleat is " wide. The hem of the skirt is faced with wool tape. The back panels of the skirt are gauged to 3" each, and have applied polished cotton channels for one 18" curved steel; at each end of the channel is a length of wool tape to tie. The skirt is entirely whipped to a faille and cotton waistband. The left side skirt panel with the low band of faille is mostly covered by the trapezoidal piece of faille, cut so that the longer edge is a fold and the two halves enclose a starched net interlining. The center of the piece, marked with long dashes, is sewn to the waistband to the mark, and at C into the seams of the panel. Each side is then turned to bring both Xs together, and it is sewn together from X to X'. The sides are turned again so that D is tacked to the skirt seams and the Ys are together, and from Y to Y' they are sewn together. The same occurs for E, Z, and Z'. Except where noted, this piece hangs free. All four panels of the tablier or overskirt (which is unlined and has a 2" hem at the bottom) are pleated, and those in front are whipped to the waistband after the skirt. (The back pleats are whipped together but hang free.) A and B on the tablier meet A and B on the waistband. The right side of the front two panels is sewn to the skirt; the bottom of the sides of the back two panels hangs free to the first mark, and is slipstitched down to the skirt to the second mark. The two marked pleats are flaps, tacked together, which hang down; the panel is not sewn to the skirt anywhere else except above the flaps on the right side. The pleats at center back are simply tacked once on top of the seam. The snap at center back meets the one on the waistband, and a hook at B (since fallen off) meets an eye on the waistband.