Age of Antiquity



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		1876 Polonaise Bustle Dress 1879-1881 Navy Blue Wool Walking Suit 1887 Purple Corded Silk Bustle Dress 1892 Bodice and Skirt 1890's Ballgown 1890's "Mrs. Andrew Carngie" Gown
	The years following the end of the Civil War saw the rise and fall of two different bustle periods. The first period, from the late 1860's through 1879, featured a soft bustle sillouette with somewhat of a full skirt. Between 1879 and 1881, the sillouette became long and tight, with only a little fullness below the calves on the back of the skirts remaining. After 1881, the bustle returned, but this time as a more dramatic "shelf" shape that was almost flat on top. The skirts during this period were less full than during the first bustle period. The bustle dissappeared again in 1889 as the gored skirt and full "leg-o-mutton" sleeves of the Gibson Girl era came into fashion. The huge sleeves passed into the dustbins of history once again by 1895, but the gored, trumpet shaped skirts remained in fashion.

1876 Polonaise Bustle Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! Originally, the polonaise was a style from the 1780's. It is an overdress that is draped along the sides and/or back to create a bustle sillouette. In the 1870's an updated version of this style became popular. This dress is an example. The underskirt is taffeta and made up of many rows of ruffles edged with black lace. The overdress is made from red brocade with an antique black lace overlay. The ruffles on the sleeves, neckline, and hem of the overdress were salvaged from an antique dress - they are crimped taffeta. Salvaged black jet beaded trim adorns the neckline and taffeta bows on the gathered sides. The front is trimmed with black alencon lace. Bill is wearing a 19th century frock coat with velvet lapels and pockets, with matching pants. He is also wearing a vest under the frock coat.
Side View of the 1876 Bustle Dress.	Front view - Bill is wearing his 19th Century Frock Coat and Pants.

1881 Navy Blue Wool Walking Suit This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! This suit is an example of the narrow style that existed between 1870 and 1882. This period separates the two bustle periods (1870-1870 and 1882-1888, approximately). It is made from fine navy blue wool gabardine. The skirt has two layers. The underlayer has puffed horizontal rows and a ruffle around the hem, trimmed with antique olive grosgrain ribbon. The overskirt is puffed vertically and the ends of the gathers are trimmed with rosettes from the same olive grosgrain ribbon. The bodice is one peice with a cream silk inset covered with antique lace. The lapels and cuffs are olive silk, and the hem of the bodice is finished with a ruffle trimeed with olive grosgrain ribbon and antique lace trim. Two rosettes also adorn the bottoms of the lapels. The dress is shown with the 1880's straw hat.
1881 Wool Dress in Fashion Show at Hale Farm and Village, Circa 2001.	1881 Woold Dress - Front
1881 Wool Dress - Front Detail The bodice fastens under the right lapel.	1881 Wool Dress - Detail of Lace Inset. The antique lace panel is mounted over a layer of silk taffeta. The lace jabot is also antique.
1881 Wool Dress - Front Trim Detail Rosettes made from olive grosgrain ribbon trim a pleated swag of antique olive silk ribbon, catching the bottom of the antique lace inset.	1881 Wool Dress - Back
1881 Wool Dress - Back Detail	1881 Wool Dress - Back Peplum Detail Peplum is trimmed with a ruffle of self fabric, trimmed with olive grosgrain ribbon and antique lace trim.
1881 Wool Dress - Side	1881 Wool Dress - Skirt Detail
1881 Wool Dress - Linen Dust Ruffle Under Hem	1881 Wool Dress - Stitching on Skirt This hand stitch secures the rows of shirring that create the ruffles and puffs on the skirt. The hem is trimmed with olive grosgrain ribbon.

1887 Purple Corded Silk Bustle Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! This dress had about 100 individual peices when it was cut out. The bodice is one peice, even though it looks like a jacket over a vest over a blouse. It opens along the side front, under one of the lapels, where it closes with a row of bone buttons. The skirt has a lining, and interlining, and the outer fabric. All of the pleats and gathers are sewn to the interlining so that they maintain their shape. The outer purple fabric is corded silk. The inset panel is silk brocade. At the top of the skirt, the silk brocade is shirred in multiple rows - this is above the vertical pleats in the skirt. The skirt and bodice are trimmed with beading. This is made in the second bustle period style, with the more pronounced shelf like bustle and narrower skirt.
Purple Bustle Dress - Front	Purple Bustle Dress - Front Detail
Purple Bustle Dress - Beading Detail	Purple Bustle Dress - Side
Purple Bustle Dress - Side Detail	Purple Bustle Dress - Side Detail
Purple Bustle Dress - Back	Purple Bustle Dress - Back

1892 Bodice and Skirt This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! In the 1890's the shape of the skirt underwent some noticable changes. Instead of the full gathered skirt of the early and mid-19th century, the trend toward a more fitted and tailored look continued. The skirts of the 1890's are cut in gores (triangular shaped vertical panels) of either 5, 7, or 9 panels. This produces a very fitted waist and hip area with trumpet shaped fullness at the hemline. In the early 1890's the large gathered sleeves returned. At this time they were called "Leg-O-Mutton" sleeves although for really huge, spectacular specimins, my mother and I came up with the term, "Leg-O-Rhinoceros". Round capes were often worn over bodices with these sleeves. After 1895 the fullness decreased somewhat, although the puffy shoulders remained. This outfit consists of a black linen skirt with 7 gores, and a cotton plaid bodice in green, off white, and black. The bodice is trimmed with black silk chevrons. The skirt is trimmed with rows of satin ribbon. It is shown with the 1890's Gainsborough Hat.
1892 Bodice and Skirt

1890's Ballgown This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! The gown is made from burgundy silk velvet, and it is trimmed with a complimentary brocade and antique gold passamentarie. The neckline is trimmed with dagging made from the same silk velvet.
1890's Ballgown	1890's Ballgown Front Detail

1890's "Mrs. Andrew Carnegie" Dress This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! I designed this dress many years ago for my good friend, Dr. Marijean Ferguson. She was a sociology professor at a local college and did many fascinating historical presentations. One of them was "Mrs. Andrew Carnegie", and this was her dress for that presentation. She died several years ago and I purchased the dress from her estate, as I know it was one of her favorites. This is a very elaborate dress! It has three layers of fabric in the skirt and has a train. The first layer is a heavy bridal satin that is cut in gores with bias ruffles around the hem. The second layer is organza that is cut over the same pattern, but has more bias ruffles. The third layer is a lavender woven lace - the ruffles of the underskirts give it a floating effect. The bodice has the same three layers, with only the organza and lavender lace filling in the neckline. The sleeves are antique embroidered cotton. The outfit is trimmed with purple velvet ribbon and antique laces. A silk flower corsage (also handmade by me) adorns the shoulder, and it has a matching reticule (purse).
Mrs. Andrew Carnegie Gown - Front	Mrs. Andrew Carnegie Gown - Back
Mrs. Andrew Carnegie Gown - Detail of Skirt Ruffles	Mrs. Andrew Carnegie Gown - Detail of Lace
Mrs. Andrew Carnegie Gown - Detail of Sleeve	Mrs. Andrew Carnegie Gown - Detail of Corsage