Bodice

This dress consists of a separate skirt and bodice. As waists narrowed even further in the mid-nineteenth century and skirts widened to incredibly large proportions, it was no longer practical for a dress to be constructed as one single garment. The bodice has become increasingly elaborate and the sleeves, slit open to the upper arm, were known as pagoda sleeves.

Detachable sleeves or 'engageantes' completed the pagoda sleeve and were both fashionable and practical as they could easily be removed for cleaning. The sleeves could either be tied onto the upper arm by means of a linen tape, or alternatively loosely stitched into the dress.

The bodice has no collar, and small epaulettes, cut with two panels in front (slightly padded over the front shoulders) extending to extremely tapered basques at the centre front. It is cut at the back in three sections with pointed basques at sides and centre back. Support for the shape is provided with boning: two sets of triple boning at the front placed diagonally across and extending into each basque; one each at underarm seam; three short bones at the centre back.

The bodice closes at the centre front with a row of glass buttons secured by rings. Looped trimmings of plaited fawn silk cord braid are horizontally placed in three sets, one under each other down the front, finished with fawn silk bobbles. The same trimmings appear on the sleeves, along with bands of cream and grey striped silk tartan ribbon. The main bodice is lined with white plain weave cotton. the pagoda sleeves are lined with cream jap silk and the cap sleeves with book muslin.