Clothing - VICTORIAN BODICE - CINAMON COLOURED SILK, OVERLAID WITH LACE, 1850's

Physical description

Light camel coloured silk (in very poor condition). Long sleeves overlaid with fine black lace in a floral design. Stand-up collar, five cm deep is overlaid with the fine black lace, and finished with a corded braid on the upper edge. Sleeves are tightly gathered at the shoulder tapering narrow at the wrist, giving a ''leg-o-mutton'' effect. 12cm wide fine black lace, attached at the neck edge, and shoulders, forms a ''puff'' decorative over the shoulder, and continues in a ''over-panel'' to the waistline. Ten x 1cm diameter plastic buttons, with a floral impression in them (2 missing) and 12 hand stitched button holes form the front opening. From the lower opening, six ''pintucks'' 12 cm deep, open into pleats at the lower edge, giving fullness to the bodice. Four metal hooks are evident on the lower tucked front and seven hand stitched eyelets are indicated, but are now severely damaged. Bodice is boned with ten X 17cm long bones, and is fully lined with cotton.A tiny 8cmX7.5cm, oval-at-one-end, pocket is stitched into the front opening, at the bustline. Back hemline dips to a V shape at centre back

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