Cream and Black Printed Silk Dress with Black Lace

VC2007033
1900-1904
Gift of Marcia Goldman Widenor '51

This black and white silk day dress, the silhouette of which dates it between 1900 and 1904, has one major element missing. This high-necked day dress would have had long sleeves. The unfinished lower half of the armscye physically tells us what research confirms: as a day dress from this period, this garment must have had undersleeves. It probably had fitted black undersleeves, likely from the same black lace that appears throughout the rest of the dress. At the turn of the twentieth century, women, who were beginning to enter the public sphere in ways that had not before, were nonetheless expected to cover all of their necks and arms during the daytime. The modern, visually dynamic fabric of this dress coupled with the more old-fashioned lace represents the conflict between new innovations and old traditions.

While this skirt and bodice were in relatively good condition, there was still some conservation work to be done to ready it for display. The black and white patterned silk was in good shape, but the more delicate fabrics had deteriorated.  In the bodice, the silk lining had shattered and was reinforced throughout.  The skirt's original lining had been cut out at the waistband, so separate petticoats are now used as the lining. In both the skirt and the bodice, the black lace was torn, and black net was added to the lace to strengthen it to prevent further damage in stressed areas.  

Researched by Faren Tang ‘13
Stabilized by Julia Fields ‘12