Print | Heritage Burnaby

Description: Bodice, c.1890s. Brown silk and cotton bengaline. Long fitted sleeves with small shoulder puff, burnt out brown velvet cuffs, basque cut, tails in back. This bodice has a very closely fitting neck, but no collar. The sleeves are close fitting except for a small puff on the shoulders: a shadow of the gargantuan puffed sleeves that dominated the 1890s. The cuffs are made with a burnt out silk, a velvet paisley pattern on a gold silk background. The front of the bodice is undecorated, but there are loose threads from decoration that was once tacked on either side of the centre front opening. At the back, the four back panels extend independently from the end of the bodice to form tails with square ends. Inside, the bodice is lined with beige patterned cotton: white tulips under a pattern of squares formed with alternating blue and red dotted lines. There are seven bones and a blue and white striped belt at the waist that closes with a hook and eye. The centre front of the bodice used to close with buttons, but they have been removed.

Object History: Belonged to the donor's step mother's in-laws from South Dakota.