Purple bodice with lace and matching skirt
Object Details
- Description
- A silk purple bodice with lace and a matching skirt. The bodice (a) is made of dark purple silk satin and has a high band collar. The yoke is made of dark purple high pile velvet with two cut outs on each side of the center front opening. The cut outs are finished with bound seams and are filled with ruched yellow silk satin. A vertical panel of ruched yellow silk satin is stitched to the piped seam edge of the center front opening at the yoke. Purple silk satin is gathered, and machine stitched to the yoke’s bottom edge. The bodice is pleated at the bottom along the center front opening. An additional flap of fabric made of the same silk satin is hand stitched to bottom of the bodice at the proper right. The short, large puff sleeves are elbow length, they are gathered at the shoulder and above the elbow. The bottom portion of the sleeves are made of a straight cut band with machine stitched self-fabric gathered trim. A purple silk satin ribbon is hand stitched to the bottom of the sleeve hidden by the ruffled trim. A five inch long panel of cotton machine Chantilly bobbin lace is hand stitched to the bottom of the sleeves. The lace has rounded scalloped edges and floral patterning. The edge of the bodice is bound in purple silk satin. The back of the collar has a center back seam. The yoke on the back mirrors the bodice’s front but with three cut outs instead of two. The back of the bodice is made of five panels excluding the yoke. Purple silk satin is gathered, and machine stitched to the yoke’s bottom edge. Two pleats are sewn to each side of the center back seam. Yellow silk satin set on the bias lines the collar. The bodice closes with fifteen alternating metal hooks and eyes tacked to cotton at the center front. Four pieces of metal boning are set into the interior, two on the proper left, one on the proper right and one at the center back. Brown net is hand stitched to the interior overtop of the lining as a previous conservation treatment.
- The skirt (b) is made of the same purple silk satin as the bodice and flares out in an A-line silhouette. It has a one and a half inch wide waist band with a seam at the center front. Two darts, three and a quarter inches long start at the bottom of the waistband. The skirt is made of six panels and has three tiers of self-fabric gathered ruffles that are machine stitched to the skirt. The skirt’s hem is incased in a band of black velvet trim. The skirt opens in the center back, and all the fasteners are missing. The back of the skirt is pleated with four pleats to the right of the center back opening and three on the left. There are two seams on the center back slightly offset to the proper left. An eleven inch dart or repair is sewn to the proper right of the center back opening. The inside of the skirt is lined with brown glazed cotton. Some of the silk satin seams on the interior are finished with the selvage and some are left with raw edges. A two and a half inch wide brown cotton waistband has been added as a later conservation treatment with four hooks and eyes. Brown net matching that found on the bodice is sewn to the skirt’s interior on top of the lining, also as a later conservation treatment.
- Cataloging Notes
- This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
- Data Source
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Date
- ca.1895
- Object number
- 2007.3.641ab
- Created by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
- Restrictions & Rights
- No known copyright restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
- Type
- ensembles (costume)
- bodices
- skirts
- Medium
- silk satin, cotton lace, glazed cotton, net, metal, and high pile velvet
- Dimensions
- L x W (a. bodice): 20 1/2 × 12 in. (52.1 × 30.5 cm)
- Waist: 14 in. (35.6 cm)
- L x W (b. skirt): 40 × 14 in. (101.6 × 35.6 cm)
- See more items in
- National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
- Collection title
- Black Fashion Museum Collection
- Classification
- Clothing - Fashion and Historical
- Topic
- African American
- Clothing and dress
- Fashion
- Record ID
- nmaahc_2007.3.641ab
