Museum quality 1880's French Promenade Bustle Gown. Larger, wearable size. The details are exceptional! Metallic Buillon Soutache and the most remarkable Chenille and Metallic Buillon embroidered fabric adorning part of the skirt. Guaranteed to make an unforgettable statement, the woman who this was made for must have loved fashion. **First I need to talk about the fabric that peaks through the bustle skirt. It is one of the most gorgeous textiles I have seen in a very long time. The body is a linen weave. It has large plump cherries that are embroidered in shades of plush chenille. The stems are poison green chenille. The LEAVES!! are created with buillon net...metallic thread net. The effect is stunning. The fabric is bordered with the deep burgundy velvet. **The style of this gown is the so-called hard bustle....or the more pronounced bustle style of the 1880's. The skirt is also the asymmetrical style you see during this period. There is beautiful tiered embroidered ruffles that peak through the slit, and run around the hem of the skirt. It also has a fitted boned jacket with 3/4 length sleeves and a mandarin collar. **The body of the dress is made with a luxurious very drapey Pimento color wool. The "hand" as it is called is very smooth, the light also plays on the surface and casts a more luminous glow than you would expect with wool. The jacket, and inner skirt panels, and the bow in back are all rich burgundy velvet. The jacket buttons with satin buttons. **The soutache has been created with metallic bullion , faceted metal beads and bullion spangles. PLEASE NOTE: Pimento Color looks much stronger in images than it is in person. C O N D I T I O N: Overall Very good to Excellent condition....or about a 4 out of 5 stars. It would benefit from restoration work. The most immediate concern is to go over the bullion soutache and make sure it is stable. It has some loss, and some has happened since we owned it and we have saved all the little pieces. The older loss we do not have the pieces for. In truth, it is such a dazzler that even in its current state it looks great. ******There are several very small holes in the wool skirt, they get lost in the folds. There are some spots on the front of the skirt towards top, some will disappear once the jacket is put on. They are quite subtle. The entire ensemble would benefit from a thorough going over by a fine seamstress. Most of the other issues are minor construction problems with all the folds of fabric in the skirt, the underpinnings, the different linings or facings and the jacket lining (which has some minor splits under arms). The bustle skirt had boning in the back...the top one is still working. The lower one is not. There are no obvious or serious issues of any sort. It has all its buttons, and is in beautiful very workable condition. Plus it is wearable. S I Z E: Skirt waist: 27", length approx 42". Jacket: Bust area is approx 38", waist is approx 29", armhole is 18+". This is truly remarkable sizing for today's woman. |
