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Made and Remade for a Quaker Wedding

by Norah Worthington, Fashion Archives Intern, Summer, 2018

A tan silk Quaker wedding gown posed some puzzles for a summer day. Although we think of wedding dresses as white or ivory, at some periods in time, a bride simply wore her best dress. The soft brown color of this silk gown was common among Quakers, but exactly what time period does this dress reflect?

Imagining and unraveling the alterations of a surviving garment is a favorite pastime of historic clothing seamstresses. What did this dress originally look like and how was it altered to what it is today? We often look at historic clothes with modern eyes, but it is helpful to have some idea of how clothes were sewn in the previous era. Looking at construction details can help us imagine the journey the dress went through.

IMG_1936Photo of tan Quaker wedding dress on display in 1970s.

 Quaker Wedding Dress,  late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, silk, Maryland Historical Society, Gift of Mrs. R. Marsden Smith, 1946.71.1 

The dress is a front opening empire gown with front closing sash, a gathered neckline, elbow length sleeves, narrow back, and slight train. The upper section or bodice, has a linen underbodice, while the sleeves are lined in silk.

The first interesting thing about this dress was that the front was cut in a rectangle without a waist seam. The bodice was pleated on the side of the body and stitched down to the waist, leaving fullness in a pleat on the side of the skirt. Draping fabric on the body and pleating it to shape was a very common 18th century dressmaker’s technique.

side view close up

Close up view of side pleats on bodice and skirt

Next, the waist of the bodice appears to have been raised, judging by the extra fabric in the lining of the top. In fact, the back seams are finished off using a different sewing technique below the current waist. We think of high waists as something that appears in the early 1800’s, but the waistline was actually creeping into fashion at the end of the 1700’s.

interior back (2)

Interior view of bodice back showing different seam finishes.

And curiously, there are small oval pieces in the sleeve lining, but not in the outer silk. The narrow diamond back may have been recut, affecting the sleeve. Traces of old stitching lines show the sleeves have been let out to be larger.

sleeve lining pieced

Interior of sleeve showing inset. 

At the hem, there is an extension of the tan silk and piecing of some darker brown silk, creating a small train.

hem detail interior-2

Inside of hem showing darker silk extension.

All these details point to an older dress from as early as 1790 that was restyled for an updated look, perhaps for a daughter, in the early 19th century. Fabric in the 18th and 19th century could be quite expensive, so remaking dresses continued for the entire century. The adjustable belting of the front fullness is a very versatile design feature; perhaps this dress was designed so a woman could continue to wear her best dress throughout pregnancy.

Whatever the reason, the creativity of a long ago dressmaker gave new life to an existing gown, and her alterations have puzzled and entertained a modern seamstress.

Field notes

MdHS Accession 1946.71.1

Tan silk Quaker Wedding dress, c. 1790-early 19th century.

Provenance: Worn by the mother of Mrs. Henry Altimus, who married Mr. Eyre of Philadelphia.

Overall Description:

Front opening empire gown has a gathered neckline, elbow length sleeves, narrow back with front closing sash, and slight train. Bodice has a linen underbodice, sleeves are lined in silk.

Construction Notes:

Front of dress is cut in one length from neck to hem. Extra width is pleated under at bodice side seams and topstitched over side back bodice with extra fabric left underneath forming pleats of skirt toward back at side.

Narrow back of bodice is constructed of two center back panels and two side back panels, all finished off individually with linen lining and then seamed together with a scant 1/16” seam.

Two belt ties are topstitched on to the narrow center back panels at the waist and show signs of pinning center front.

Interior of bodice has longer linen lining, with a different (overcast) assembly method evident below the current waist seam. Linen underbodice is left unfinished on top, bottom and center front edges.

Neckline has a narrow casing all around with a linen drawstring.

Shoulders are constructed with a strap seamed to front and back. Back strap seam is about 1/2”, backstitched and then cross stitched down.

Sleeves are lined in cream silk and show evidence of having been let out along the length of the arm. Both sleeves have small oval piecing in the back of the armscye (not in the outer silk layer).

Front skirt is constructed of two widths of 26”silk with a selvage to selvage seam center front and a center front opening. Back skirt is two full widths of 26” and a center back panel of 21”. Fullness is pleated in stacked box pleats center back, at the side back to back seams, and in the center of the side back panels. The slight train shows piecing of the silk, and additional piecing of a darker brown silk to help face the hem

Neckline has a narrow casing all around with a linen drawstring.

Shoulders are constructed with a strap seamed to front and back. Back strap seam is about 1/2”, backstitched and then cross stitched down.

Sleeves are lined in cream silk and show evidence of having been let out along the length of the arm. Both sleeves have small oval piecing in the back of the armscye (not in the outer silk layer).

Front skirt is constructed of two widths of 26”silk with a selvage to selvage seam center front and a center front opening. Back skirt is two full widths of 26” and a center back panel of 21”. Fullness is pleated in stacked box pleats center back, at the side back to back seams, and in the center of the side back panels. The slight train shows piecing of the silk, and additional piecing of a darker brown silk to help face the hem