Girl's dress of ivory-coloured printed silk trimmed with machine-made lace and blue velvet; England, ca. 1885

Dress for a girl. Ivory-coloured silk printed with a repeating design of the head of a child wearing a blue hat and collar (or possibly a close fitting sunbonnet).

Knee length, with square neck filled in with white cotton 'vest' gathered to high neck, and short slightly puffed and gathered sleeves. These have been lengthened by the addition of extra cotton sleeves, tacked in and gathered at the wrist. The dress is long waisted and the skirt is composed of a double flounce, the lower backed with two rows of pleated stiffened muslin, edged with coarse machine made cotton lace. Bands of blue velvet, with machine made white cotton lace applied to them, pass over the shoulders front and back, to end at the top of the skirt. Similar bands edge the neck, balance this at the front waist, and trim the sleeves, which are additionally decorated with blue ribbons. The real waist at the centre front and back is marked with small gathers. The dress fastens with buttons at the back, from neck edge to skirt, the yoke is held together with two brass hooks. It is cotton lined throughout.

Given by Mrs W. H. Nicholson

Gift of Mrs W H Nicholson of Drogheda (RF 58/1736)

England, ca. 1885

This dress is somewhat unusual in its fabric and trimmings. The printed silk shows some irregularities, and may have been a sample fabric. Textile workers were sometimes given these samples, which had usually been produced only in small amounts, so particularly suited to the making of children's garments. The fairly complex construction of the garment and the bold combination of velvet and lace as trimmings suggests that the dress was made by someone who was an experienced dressmaker.

T.115-1958