An evening or dinner dress consisting of a bodice and skirt, black silk with pleated silk ruffles and sequinned machine-made lace trimmings, c.1900. The bodice is made of black pin-tucked silk, over a black silk taffeta lining, with substantial and structural trimmings. Around the neckline there is a border of silk organza forming leaf-shaped puffs in pairs, over a border of machine lace embroidered with tiny round beads, and another deeper border of machine lace heavily embroidered with sequins, which are probably made of gelatine. At each shoulder and the centre front there is a pair of pendant pompoms made of silk chiffon which each has six leaf shaped tassels hanging from silk cord. There is a double row of ruffled silk ribbon applied horizontally in a meandering line around the middle area of the bodice. The lower edge is covered with a draped band or sash of wide black silk finished with a fixed bow, which fastens with four hooks and eyes. The bodice itself fastens to the proper left of the centre-front, with nine hooks and eyes. The internal waistband of heavy Petersham ribbon fastens with two hooks and eyes.

The elbow-length sleeves of black chiffon are overlaid with the sequined machine lace and trimmed with deep ‘engageant’ shaped ruffles of pleated chiffon.

There are 11 whalebones inserted into casings of black silk inside the taffeta base or lining of the bodice, including at each closing edge. The upper edge around the neckline has a silk net edging, threaded with a velvet ribbon and in addition there are taffeta ribbon ties that close the internal neckline.

The matching skirt has a deep train and is made of black pin-tucked silk over a taffeta lining. There is a broad vertical panel of machine lace embroidered with sequins at the centre front, with narrower borders at each side seam. There are two pairs of applied curving bands of ruffled silk at hip level and above the hem, which continue around the front and back of the skirt. The hem of the skirt has three layers of ruffled frills. The taffeta lining is finished at the hem with a double flounce of the same taffeta, and a single pleated silk flounce on the outer edge. The skirt opens to the proper left of the centre back, the 27cm long opening has five hooks and clips and two hooks and eyes to fasten at the waist. The top edge of the skirt is bound with a silk tape and has a hanging loop at each side. There is a pocket inserted into the centre front seam of the lining above the hem and there are flat circular weights in the hem of the skirt.