Dress, 2-piece
date: label: Date made
content: 1871 - 1875
label: Date made
content: 1871-1875
notes: label: Description
content: Unfortunately, we do not know who wore this dress as it came from the estate of the donor. We believe that it was worn by a member of his family, perhaps his mother.
label: Description
content: This dress is deceptively simple in its overall appearance. With its plain lines and minimum trimming, the dress appears at first glance to be an everyday dress. However, the interesting use of the darker brown fabric as neck and armhole piping and to edge the trimming indicates that the overall design and resulting effect was carefully thought out. It also appears that most of the sewing was done by hand and then carefully stitched over with darker brown thread for its decorative effect.
label: Description
content: This bustle style two-piece dress is constructed of tan silk and wool in a ribbed weave. It is both hand and machine stitched. The bodice has a round neck edged with dark brown silk piping. The center front opening fastens with eleven dark brown silk covered buttons (all but one are missing). The bodice is cut longer at the sides and back than at the front, and the bottom edge of the front is trimmed with a self-ruffle edged with darker brown silk. There is a dart on either side of the center front bodice. A self-ruffle trims the edge of the side front opening and extends up over the shoulder on the bodice to come to a “V” shape at the center back. Additional petal shaped pieces of trim, edged with brown silk, are on the interior edge of the ruffle. The center back of the bodice is trimmed with a row of trefoil of petals. The bodice had a waist seam and a curved seam on either side of the center back that are stitched in dark brown. The center back of the bodice skirt is pleated to create fullness, and the fabric is caught up at intervals at the back to create additional fullness. The bodice is lined with brown cotton, and the skirt section of the bodice is lined with brown glazed cotton. The coat style sleeves are a two-part construction and are trimmed with a ruffle and petals at the opening. The armholes of the sleeves are piped with darker brown silk. The skirt has a self-fabric waistband, and it is cut flat at front with two pleats on either side. There is a side front seam, and two “U” shaped bands edged with brown silk fabric and trimmed with petals decorate the center front. A deep self-ruffle edged with darker brown silk fabric is attached near hemline. The skirt has a center back closure. The skirt top is folded over and whipped to the waistband, and it is gauged or narrowly pleated at the back. The skirt is entirely lined with glazed cotton, and the hem edge is bound with brown wool tape. The skirt waistband measures 23 inches, the skirt center front measures 40 inches, and the hem width is 118 inches.
label: Description
content: This dress was exhibited in the Hall of American Costume of the Smithsonian Institution from 1964 to 1973.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Costume
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of the Estate of Harrison Olney Lewis
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CS.223348.002
label: catalog number
content: 223348.002
label: accession number
content: 223348
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Dress, 2-piece
label: Object Type
content: Main Dress
label: Object Type
content: Woman
label: Object Type
content: Dress
label: Object Type
content: Entire Body
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: waist: 23 1/2 in; x 59.69 cm
label: Measurements
content: front length: 40 in; 101.6 cm
label: Measurements
content: hem width: 118 in; x 299.72 cm