Featured Love This.

I just bought an Edwardian top and skirt for salvage, The top is in a terrible state but the skirt is good.
In typical Edwardian style the skirt has a panel down the back like a fish tail. At the bottom of the fish tail was a weight, I just unpicked it to see what the weight was.

Here it is, It doesn't look like it would be very exciting unless you are into antique textiles.

This weight hasn't been seen or touched for over a hundred years since the dressmaker attached it. I loved taking out and realising I was the first to see it

 

Was the "tail" long enough to be called a train (day dress or evening dress?)? In addition to the weights, a lot of those skirts with a train had a ring sewn into the so the lady could "hold her train" while dancing by slipping the ring over her finger...............we (family) donated quite a few dresses from the period to a museum in NYC.......................along with some photos of our ancestors wearing the clothing in question...................

 

WOW!

 

just as a follow up to my useless observation, there is an apocryphal story about the last queen of Hawaii being able to backwards kick her train up and catch it with the ring in the proper place to just slip over her finger........................... it was related to me by a Hawaiian family member, but I have read it elsewhere as well...........................

 

QUEEN LILIUOKAKATCHMYTRAIN.

 

...and yes....I know that some of those letters are not apropos.

 

No it isn't a train.
I would say that it probably finished around the back of the lady's knee.
It was once very beautiful

 

I'll put piccies on of the whole thing later

 

Here's the piccies of the whole thing, The top is absolutely rotten unfortunately.

 

Nice, and believe it or not, I LOVE that colour! Perfect for today's weather - a gray day, a gray mood, a gray ensemble .......................... with just a touch of sable.........................(thank you Dennis Tanner)...........

 

I would be interested to see the frilly under garments worn with such a stately dress !!

 

Poison Ivy, what a dress! Amazing to see clothing that old. Is the fabric silk? It's really something, thanks for sharing!

 

It does have a silk sheen to it......but the close up looks more like a thicker yarn...???

 

Hi Lucille.
No it isn't silk, komo is correct, It is thicker.
I'm not sure what the fabric is but it does have a nice sheen.

 

Next time you go to the restroom...check...

 

Just curious but . . . does anyone think that the "tail" as Poisonivy described it could have been a "transition" feature either to or from the "full bustle" era????

I'm probably way off base but . . . inquiring minds and all that . . . .

 

It would make sense wouldn't it.

 

BOOP BOOP BOOP BUH BOOP BUDUH BOOP OOP...

 

I am not an expert, but the appearance indicates to me that it could be later Victorian, likely at the end of the era of the bustle. The amount of fabric tells me that perhaps a small crinoline bustle might have been involved with it. Either that or the extra layer of fabric was to mimic the shape of the bustle without the extreme volume of one. Generally, Edwardian skirts didn't feature tiered layers as in this time period, fashion was moving to a more streamlined appearance.