The dress you describe in the photo sounds like Fancy Dress costume. I have a great picture of my Great Grandfather and his daughter in historically inspired fancy dress, ca. 1900 or so. They lived in Vienna, Austria. I am waiting for the right vintage ball to copy their outfits.
Katy On Wed, Jun 19, 2013 at 11:50 PM, Cathy Raitt <cbellfl...@aol.com> wrote: > Fran, > Thanks! The ceremony took place at 11:30 in the morning on June 1, but > I'm sure she would have had occasion to need evening dresses - they spent > the next few days at the White Sulphur (still a very high-class place!) and > then on to New York before a honeymoon in England. > > If she was wearing "long white gloves" wouldn't that indicate that the > dress had short sleeves? > > > > We have undated pictures of her in a light-colored gown with a square > neck that appears to be trimmed in ermine. She's wearing a crown. Someone > suggested that might be her wedding gown, but I don't think so, especially > after reading this letter. > > Cathy > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Lavolta Press <f...@lavoltapress.com> > To: Historical Costume <h-cost...@indra.com> > Sent: Wed, Jun 19, 2013 11:19 pm > Subject: Re: [h-cost] Wedding in 1882 > > > Early in 1882 she was probably wearing a dress with only a small bustle > (the "natural form" era), though late in 1882 it would have been a > larger bustle. She had on either a polonaise (long tunic) over a skirt, > or a bodice/overskirt/skirt ensemble. Either the polonaise or the > overskirt likely provided the back drapery. Her dress probably had a > high day neckline and 3/4 or full length sleeves, but might well have > had detachable parts (a front gilet, and lower sleeves) to turn it into > a lower-necked, shorter-sleeved evening dress, especially if it was an > expensive dress. Wedding dresses were often worn as evening dresses > after the wedding, if the bride expected to attend many social events. > Other than that, there's not enough detail to go on. The dress was > likely off-white, but might have been colored, if it were to be used > later as a day dress by a bride who did not expect to attend many > evening events. > > As for the mother-in-law, a shiny fabric (satin) and glittering jewels > (diamonds) were not mourning. > > You might be interested in my book Fashions of the Gilded Age, which > contains patterns, images, and descriptions of wedding dresses in Volume 2. > > Fran > Lavolta Press > www.lavoltapress.com > > > On 6/19/2013 7:38 PM, Cathy Raitt wrote: > > On a recent trip "home" I found a letter written by my great-great > grandmother to > her sister describing her daughter's wedding, which I have been trying to > transcribe. The wedding took place at home and the bride's attire was > described as a "simple costume." Her veil was described, but not the > dress > itself. This is what I've been able to figure out so far. (Some of the > words > might not be exactly right - I'm still deciphering the handwriting!) > > > > "The pure white --- veiling(?) trimmed with many rows of lace and with > drapery of white watered ribbon at the back was very pretty. The veil a > large > square of tulle fell a little over her face and was caught on one side of > the > head by a cluster of natural white roses. Another bunch at the left side > of the > neck among the laces and a third larger upon the skirts holding the veils > back a > little. Black stockings & slippers and long white gloves made up the t---- > ensemble. The only ornaments were a beautiful Silver comb & earrings sent > her > by Cousin..." > > > > What would this dress have looked like? We haven't been able to find any > pictures that could be this gown. > > > > She comments that the groom's mother looked "uncommonly well in black > satin & > lace. Some beautiful diamonds at her throat." Was it normal to wear black > to a > wedding? How long would someone wear mourning for a son? (The groom's > brother > had died in 1875.) > > > > Thanks! > > Cathy > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > -- Katy Bishop, Vintage Victorian katybisho...@gmail.com www.VintageVictorian.com Custom reproduction gowns of the Victorian Era. Publisher of the Vintage Dress Series books. _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
