Fine, soft silk, woven with a two mm spot, spaced at one cm all over the fabric.Above the wrist-length sleeves finished with a six cm wide black velvet cuff. Sleeves are gathered at the shoulder and the cuff. A 26cm long ''over -sleeve'' is gathered at the shoulder, and edged with two bands of black velvet-one of .8 of 1cm, and one 2cm wide. Bodice has a 6.5cm stand-up mandarin style collar, which is boned in three places. Three metal hooks, and embroidered eyelets fasten the collar - (2 damaged). The shoulder line has 12 pintucks, 20 cm long, and finishing to give fullness to the bustline. Six pintucks either side of back opening. Over the shoulders is a loose panel - 25cm wide at the shoulder, tapering to 7.5cm wide at the waistline - five bands of velvet taper from shoulder to waistline, emphasing a V shape, from shoulders to narrow waist. A 17cm deep panel of pintucking extends from shoulders at front and back. Six X 4cm deep tucks extend from the pintucks to the waistline.costume, female, victorian black silk and velvet bodice

Green and gold shot silk dress. Hemline is edged with a binding of black velvet - one cm wide. Bodice lined with cream linen, sleeves lined with cream cotton, skirt lined with cream linen(?) or cotton(?). Long sleeves are shaped in a ""semi-circular'' shape at the elbow, and taper in at the wrist. Sleeves are trimmed with green fringing, and a flat green satin bow. Wrist is trimmed a 2cm wide band of cream cotton lace. Top of sleeve at shoulder is also trimmed with green and fringing encircling the sleeve top.High round neck is faced with a 1cm band, and a row of the cotton lace. Two bands of fringing give a rectangular "style'' effect on the front bodice, which is fastened at centre front with ten metal hooks, and nine hand stitched ''holes'' to fasten, and one hand stitched loop at the neckline. Fringing continues over the shoulder, into a 5-sided shape across the shoulder blades. Skirt has two pleats on RHS front and two on left hand side of back and a 7cm centre panel of tight pleating. Skirt extends into a train at back. An inside pocket is accessed from under a pleat in the RHS skirt.costume, female, victorian full length dress with train

The Fashion & Design collection of the Kew Historical Society includes examples of women’s, men’s, children’s and infants’ clothing from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Items in the collection were largely produced for, or purchased by women in Melbourne, and includes examples of outerwear, protective wear, nightwear, underwear and costume accessories.Late Victorian black cotton bodice with narrow sleeves. The creator of the bodice has made extensive use of beading at the front and on the sleeves. The bodice is unusual in that it includes an overlay at the front of black sequined tulle over a cream silk insert. The bodice has a black velvet waistband. The edging of the bodice includes pin tucking. Two long 'swallow tails' of lace (sic) hang from the neck of the bodice at the front. The bodice was owned by one of the donor's maternal ancestors.australian fashion, women's clothing, bodices, lace, victorian fashion, micky ashton

This gown, one of two similar items in the collection belonged to one of the Ward Cole sisters, Miss Margaret Morison Ward Cole or Miss Agnes Bruce Ward Cole, daughters of George Ward Cole. George Ward Cole was an early member of the Victorian Parliament and the family featured prominently in Melbourne Society in their time. They established a substantial home known as “St Ninians” at 10 Miller Street in 1841. The family reportedly entertained Melbourne’s first Royal visitor the Duke Of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria’s second son at St Ninians in 1867. In later years St Ninians was subsequently sub divided and later demolished. A black and yellow velvet, wool, lace and silk dress from circa 1882. The bodice features a yellow silk, black lace and black velvet collar finishing high on the neck just below the chin finished with a black lace ruffle. The collar has a flap across the front of the throat that attaches at the side with a V-shaped baseline that contributes to concealing the fastenings of the bodice. The dress features a gathered central panel of black lace covered lemon silk, which falls from the neckline to the floor. At either side of this panel are matching panels of black velvet. The remainder of the dress and sleeves are made of black wool featuring a self-striped and spotted pattern. The dress fastens down the centre front with concealed black buttons hidden underneath the right velvet panel. The head of the Amadis sleeve sits on the natural shoulder line and finishes tightly at the elbow. The volume of the sleeve is created by ten pleats at the head of the shoulder, sewn to the bodice and is gathered at the elbow. The sleeve is finished with a black velvet ribbon with a bow and a black lace frill. The base of the dress is finished with a ruffle of the black dress wool. The dress features a small train. The dress is boned at the back waist and features an inset panel just below the waist of gathered fabric which forms the train. st ninians, george ward cole, visiting gown, brighton, margaret morrison ward cole, agnes bruce ward cole

This gown, one of two similar items in the collection, belonged to one of the daughters of George Ward Cole, Miss Margaret Morison Ward Cole or Miss Agnes Bruce Ward Cole. George Ward Cole was an early member of the Victorian Parliament and the family featured prominently in Melbourne Society in their time. They established a substantial home known as “St Ninians” at 10 Miller Street in 1841. The family reportedly entertained Melbourne’s first Royal visitor the Duke Of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria’s second son, at St Ninians in 1867. In later years St Ninians was subsequently subdivided and later demolished.A black and mint green wool, velvet, lace and silk dress from circa 1882. The bodice features a wired, standing collar, finishing just under the chin and open at the front of the throat. On either side at the front of the throat it features long black lace ties with black jet bead fringe. The centre front of the dress from the neckline to the base of the skirt features an insert panel of mint green corded silk. The silk is gathered and the neckline and waist and overlaid a panel of gathered lacy net. Inserted into the seam at either side of this panel at the waist are two velvet ties. The dress secures closed with eight black buttons and one hook and eye down the right side of the mint panel to mid thigh. The edges of the collar and black front panels are finished with a looped ribbon trim. The remainder of the dress is made of a black wool fabric woven a checkered pattern of larger and looser threads and smaller and tighter threads creating a seersucker like pattern. The bodice features a natural shoulder line and an Amadis sleeve of full cut gathered to the bodice at the shoulder and finishing at the elbow with a large black lace flounce. The front panels of the dress are flat and shaped neatly to the body from neck to hip line and gently out to create the Victorian silhouette. On the back of each shoulder the dress features a leaf like, small jet beaded embellishment with multiple long loops of jet beads falling down the back to the waist. Underneath this embellishment is a pleated black ribbon that runs from the shoulder to the back of the pelvis. Over the pelvis are another two jet beaded embellishments of a floral design with two tassels. The skirt is full and pleated in under this embellishment and fulls to the floor with a small train. The base of the dress is finished with a ruched band of the main dress fabric.st ninians, george ward cole, visiting gown, brighton, miss margaret morison ward cole, miss agnes bruce ward cole, 1880s