A striking dress with a fan front and great fabric design and colouring. Notice the colour change in the darker stripe which is done with careful printing. The rich blue silk trim is perfect.
The roller printed worsted delaine wool and cotton with a wide striped design with delicate indigo leaf sprays branching from a red flower column, between narrow stripes with small pine motifs in indigo on a horizontal wide striped ombré ground, using soft green, terracotta, brown.
The dress with rouleau trimmed round high neck, deep V shaped fan front with wide pleated bands covering the shoulders and falling down the front to the hem, rouleau trimmed arm sockets and waist, nine rich Prussian blue silk rosettes to the front, the flaring sleeves with a double blue silk ruched ribbon and rosette, inner sleeve white cutwork engagements stitched from shoulder to cuff, the back opening with brass hooks and eyes, with a blue silk ribbon at the waist, A striking completely lined with a natural linen.
Length 57 in; 1.45 m
Underarm 83 cm
Waist 77cm
Hem circumference 3.6 m
There is a little damage to both shoulders, just above the pleated bands. Clearly the dress has been hung on a metal hanger! Horrors! There is a little discolouration underarms, but with the sleeves down this cannot be seen. It is more evident on the lining. The right hand sleeve has a horizontal 3 in x 1/2 in; 7 x 1 cm darn parallel to the blue silk ruching. It does not notice because of the pattern of the fabric. There is a very little wear to the back opening edge on the side of the brass hooks. You need glasses to see it! The front skirt near the fourth rosette down, has a 1 1/2 x 1/2 inch slight stain and little hole. It is hidden in the folds of the dress. Another small slight mark lower down. Another 5 inch line of light brown to the lower right of the skirt, and another further down, again not noticeable because the skirt is so full. I think the wearer dropped her cup of tea down her front! Another slight mark near skirt closure. These marks are all light brown and hardly noticeable.
Identifying Printed Textiles in Dress 1740-1890 by Philiip Sykas. 2007 p 29
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