Brown and black striped silk moiré bodice and skirt

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A brown and black striped silk moiré women’s day ensemble consisting of a bodice and skirt. The bodice (a) is made of brown and black striped silk moiré faille and has dropped shoulders. The bodice’s round neckline and armscye seams are piped, and a band of cotton lace is hand-stitched to the neckline. The piped neckline is encased with black silk crepeline. The bodice’s lace collar and undersleeves were later additions likely added in the 1900s. The bias-cut sleeves are a bell-shaped variation and are three quarter length. Hand-stitched to the sleeves’ bottom edges are plain weave cotton undersleeves embellished with lace insertions. The bodice opens at the center front with eleven black shank buttons. A seven-inch dart is sewn to each side below the bust. The front of the bodice ends in a deep point at the center front.

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