Museum object · Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Cream dress with floral lace and embroidery
ca.1920
Smithsonian NMAAHC collection
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 cream dress with floral lace and embroidery. The dress is made of multiple layers of silk bobbinet embordered with leaf motifs. Machine guipure lace is handstitched to the silk bobbinet throughout the garment. The lace depicts floral motifs possibly peonies and daisies. The larger motifs on the lace are created with embroidery on plain weave cotton. The lace and embroidery are likely machine made. The sleeves end slightly above the elbow with lace at the edges. The sleeves are stitched by hand. There is an exterior panel of bobbinet that starts at the shoulders and extends at hip level. It fastens with four snaps at the proper left shoulder and three snaps at the waistline. The bobbinet is further secured with tacking stitches on the proper right side at the shoulder, and at two points at the waistline. The panel of bobbinet plunges into a "V" shape exposing the lace at the bustline.
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Sources & collection details
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗
Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13
Catalog reference: 2007.3.612
