Help dating fitted cotton bodice

R

ruffy

Registered Guest
I fell in love with this at a thrift shop some years ago. It's made of fine cotton and lace panels. The bodice is closely fitted and has a bustle at the back. The seams look to me as though they are machine sewn, using both chain and straight stitch. The stitches are tiny, and the chain is a bit uneven. The seams are all about 1/8 inch and are either french seamed or, in the case of the lace attachment, sewed down flat.
The lace looks to me as though it's machine made. (I am far from expert, but I do make bobbin lace, and I would expect handmade lace to be less messy when looked at through a loup.)

I had thought it would be a piece of cake to find something like it on the internet, but I must be putting in the wrong info, because I can't find a similiar picture. Basically, I would like to know what period it came from and if it is most likely a nice reproduction or real.

I am sorry the pictures are so bad..Thank you for any help you can give!
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Jonathan said:
It looks like a mid 1870s breakfast jacket to me, or part of a morning ensemble, like a negligee for wearing about the house before dressing for the day.
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Thank you! So that would be pretty early machine stitching, right?
 
Ruffy: how does it fasten - is it hooks and eyes up the centre back? If you could load photos of the fastening and the interior, it would be helpful. I'm a little unsure about that chain stitching as I haven't seen that on a piece from this era and these styles have been reproduced at times. Thank you.
 
It fastens up the front with small flat buttons which appear to be mother-of-pearl. There are two snaps at the neck. I can't get a picture now but can do so after the weekend.
 
Just to add, the buttonholes do look handmade. I will post more pictures on Tuesday. It's turning into quite the adventure. Certainly, if it is a copy, someone put a lot of careful work into it!
 
Here are the pictures I promised. The buttons are sewn on a strip like a shirt front, and the buttonholes are under the ruffled lace.
The buttons are small, about 1/4 inch. The buttonholes (I couldn't get a good picture) seem to be hand sewn, and are beautifully even, although the stitches are not close.
The snaps at the neck seem to be really out of place. You can also see the ribbon which is threaded into the neck seam to hold the lace upright.
I hopes this helps with a decision. Now I am really curious!


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Ruffy, thank you for the extra pics but I'm not sure what we're seeing here.

1 - I'm confused about the ribbon holding the neckline up - that doesn't look Victorian, generally there are small bones.
2 - Are the interior seams French seams or sewn using another technique? Close ups would help.
3 - The snaps look modern, but could be replacements for older ones. Can you tell from the stitching if they're original?
4 - I can't see the button holes, if you have a clear, in focus shot it will help.

From the close ups it doesn't look old to me but more information will help.
 
OK, here is more info:
Seams: They are all French seams, about 1/8 inch wide, except where the lace is attached. Those seams are sewn flat. There's a picture earlier.
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Buttonhole: It's so tiny, it's hard to get a good picture. They don't seem to be the usual machine-made.

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Neck closing: The snaps seem to be added later. The thread is much heavier and the stitching is rough. There is a buttonhole that has been sewn closed in the band above the snaps.

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Monogram: It turns out it's monogrammed! Stitching appears to be hand done (no bobbin thread).
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And here's a side view showing the bustle, and one of the sleeve showing the uneven lace: (It's hard to show the bustle without a model to put it on, and it's too small for me.
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I appreciate the help everyone has been giving. During the 70's and early 80's I bought a few items at thrift stores but never thought to try to find out when they were made until now. It's been really fun trying to research this piece.
 
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Wonderful pics Ruffy: thank you! I can see the hand stitching now, and that the shoulderline falls towards the back which is a distinctive 19th century feature (and missing on repro styles). Well done: I can agree with Jonathan's dating of 1870s.

I'm a costumer by trade, so very aware of how easy it is for a costume (stage, film, dress up party) to look similar to authentic period clothing but the details, fabric and construction will generally sort the men from the boys, so to speak.
 
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