Shirtwaist, 1890-1910
Shirtwaist and skirt
1890-1910
White/Cream
Linen
2013.02
This is a shirtwaist and skirt ensemble complete with detailed applied decoration. It is a simple silhouette with a two-piece sleeve, a slight pigeon front, and pleats on the back of the skirt to offer a fuller shape. Pleats also stem from the register of lace on the lower half of the skirt. On the top, heavy lace strips are inset in the side front bodice and over the shoulders and down the side backs. Additional insets of lace adorn the sleeves, yoke, collar, and skirt. The lace on the skirt aligns with both the side front and back inset pieces from the shirtwaist. The lace insets end about two-thirds down the length of the skirt before turning ninety degrees and wrapping around the back, creating a plain central panel on skirt’s front. All this lace decoration is of the same pattern. A small, scalloped lace line the top of the lace collar, the cuffs and the lower strip of lace on the sleeves. Floral embroidery is also found throughout the ensemble. On the shirtwaist, the embroidery is located on the front-center and back-center panels between the strips of lace. A small trace of the embroidery also goes between the lace on the upper sleeve. French knots adorn the dress’s center front and trace the shirtwaist’s armhole. The shirtwaist is fastened in the center back with metal hooks and thread eyes, and metal snaps on the lace collar. Hook and eye closures also fasten the top of the skirt in the back.
-Coberly
