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18th Century Extant Bodice

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This is a bodice to what was a 1780's/1790's dress. The silk and cotton/linen lining are still in mostly good shape. The only problem areas are in the back where the skirt was ripped off. The skirt looks to have been originally one with the back of the bodice (constant with some other extant examples) and pleated to the sides. The tabs are not separate from the bodice. The boning in the bo…  (read more)

19 Jan 2010

197 visits

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Inside at the shoulder seam. You can see the cotton, linen, and the silk edges.

19 Jan 2010

201 visits

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19 Jan 2010

214 visits

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20 Jan 2010

227 visits

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Front of the extant bodice over the stays I made.

20 Jan 2010

225 visits

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Front of bodice. The bodice has a cotton lining (linen straps at the shoulders) that is flipped over in the front. The closure is a set of spiral lacing eyelets. The silk in the front is about a 1/4" overlap over the eyelet lining to provide a closed front.

20 Jan 2010

197 visits

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Shoulder and sleeve seams. You can also see the slight pleating of the sleeve to the shoulder.

20 Jan 2010

209 visits

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One interesting thing I found about the seams is that they aren't right sides together sewn. The lining is flipped over & sewn down so a small "pocket" is formed at either edge. Inside those "pockets" a piece of whaleboning is placed. The facing piece is then carefully folded under on the edges and sewn down to the lining. Once the piece is together, it's whip-stitched to the adjacent piece, right sides together. This gives the bodice some body on it's own with all the small bits of whaleboning in it but it also makes it a LOT easier to take apart and make a new piece for if you gain or loose weight!

20 Jan 2010

201 visits

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The back of the bodice. This was over the stays I made to see how those stays actually fit with this style.