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  • Girl's Dress with Pantaloons, about 1850

    Girl's Dress with Pantaloons, about 1850

    This dress is notable for its casualness and ease of movement, with the shoulders and sleeves at a natural level. It is also notable for the lower-style dress and the fact that it is made from scraps and can be altered easily. The bodice decoration is reminiscent of 1840's "points."

  • Dress, 1850-1855

    Dress, 1850-1855

    An interesting, inexpensive fabric. The sleeve is a little modified from its work dress origins. This was probably the best dress of a lower middle class woman.

  • Dress, 1855-1865

    Dress, 1855-1865

    This dress appears to have been remade in order to incorporate late 1860s fashion. The sleeves suggest the 1860s; the skirt appears to have been remade, and pleated instead of gauged. The dress is pieced to make up the yardage, but in a very deliberate mirror image on each side to make it less noticeable.

  • Morning Dress, 1850-1855

    Morning Dress, 1850-1855

    The dress was probably originally two pieces: a bodice and skirt. The basques of the bodice are now on the inside. The skirt was removed from the waistband, cut down and applied to the bodice, and green silk trimmings added.

  • Dress, 1840-1855

    Dress, 1840-1855

    According to the donor, this dress belonged to Geraldine McMaster Cole, who died near Cato, New York in 1860. It has a simple one piece back and a simple work sleeve. The sleeve is shirred at the seam but is straight rather than curved, indicating an 1840-1855 date. The bodice was probably originally pointed at the center front, and is now straight cut. At its current position, the waistline is quite short-waisted - might this have been used as a maternity dress, or in the late 1830s? The full s…

  • Cotton and Wool Girl's Ruffled Dress, 1880

    Cotton and Wool Girl's Ruffled Dress, 1880

    Long-sleeved collar-less dress; wool-cotton blend of variegated brown and tan; red trim. Two ruffles descend from shoulders to waist, curving towards back; skirt trimmed horizontally with scallops; self-fabric overlays above hem. Red wool bias tape trim on ruffles, cuffs, scallops, and hem. Body lined with two patterns of brown checked cotton; sleeves lined with red checked cotton. Center-back opens completely; ten button closure. Home machine-made; tension on stitches variable; seams unfinished…

  • Dressing Gown, 1840-1855

    Dressing Gown, 1840-1855

    This is a plain dress with a more expensive than usual lining fabric. A paper found with the dress indicates that it might be from Northeast Vermont.