Sometimes on my travels I come across interesting pieces of costume that are hard to resist, like this beautiful but fragile silk bodice. It must be either Victorian or Edwardian by the look of it, and it would originally have had a matching skirt.
I love the nod to military styling in the detail, and the lace frames the shoulders and cuffs very prettily. It is lightly boned inside, with quite a few rows of hooks and eyes here and there to keep it secure and in place.
A bodice like this is too damaged to wear without restoration as the silk has thinned to holes here and there, especially near the waist and front, but it still displays beautifully, a lovely testament to the seamstress' skills during the late 19th or early 20th century.
A bodice like this is too damaged to wear without restoration as the silk has thinned to holes here and there, especially near the waist and front, but it still displays beautifully, a lovely testament to the seamstress' skills during the late 19th or early 20th century.
Beautiful coloured silk and the detail around the neck is stunning. What skill and patience they had years ago.....
ReplyDeleteJulie x