Wonderful Edwardian Dress

Embroidery, Beads & Flowers

This is one of the most beautiful Edwardian dresses I have had the pleasure of owning. It has everything - wonderful styling with fine embroidery, lace and bead work.

The dress is shown on my mannequin and she is a 36-38 inch bust. When measured myself I confirm the bust is around 36 to 38 inches. Difficult to be precise because of the cut. Waist is between 25 and 26 inches with hips being about 46 inches all the way around. The fullness in the skirt allows the fabric to hang beautifully. Measured from the top of the shoulder down to the end of the skirt it is about 52 inches in length.

Fabric is silk with two designs used. The dress proper is made from a striped silk with solid band running alternatively with bands which are more see through. Plain green silk is used, and under skirt is made from one fabric of solid colour (this is possibly some kind of silk too).  In all cases fabrics are green with the striped material being very very very pale green. The under skirt is a slightly deeper green by not very much deeper. 

Bodice is fitted with shaped neckline which is edge with cream lace. Very fine netting with what looks like Schiffli lace to me but I could be wrong on the lace type. Very pretty design with diamond frames filled in at the centres with smaller more open worked diamonds. Upper part of the shape is open with fine netting below.  Diamond shape is repeated below but only half the shape here with the same netting and centre decoration. Shapes formed by the design is filled with tiny circles with open worked centres, all linked together.

The striped fabric of the bodice is pleated at the shoulders and down the sleeves and also runs down to the end of the bodice where you find a silk sash around the waist area. The pleats meet at the centre front of the bodice and disappear as the fabric reaches the side seams. In the V shape created at the front of the bodice there is plain silk which is beautifully embroidered with two large flowers across the top and another flower, the same, below. Leaves and stems connect all the flowers together. Flowers have two rows of petals done in tones of pinks. Each flower has an open worked centre with tiny tiny glass beads attached. A row of such beads is stitched around the flowers oval central shape. These beads are clear but with a dark green tone inside the glass. Leaves are stitched in medium green with a slightly darker green for stem. The leaves are outlined in cream, as are the petals of the flowers, and each leaf has a central vein of dark green. There are tiny glass beads attached along the length of each vein. At the bottom of the single flower which is the last flower in the V shape, there is a small flower but again beautifully worked with glass beads too.  Along the sides of the V shape where the striped silk pleats are located, there are tiny clear glass beads at regular intervals. Each has attached a short dangle, approx. 1 inch in length, made from a very narrow tubular white glass bead with tiny tiny white beads and tiny tiny gold beads attached. These beads continue beyond the top of the V shape where the two large flowers are found and run up to the shoulders by the side of the lace decorating the neckline. They continue over the shoulders at the neck and run down the back of the bodice where a similar V shape is found. They stop about 8 inches down. 

Returning to the front of the bodice, if you look at the two beautiful flowers you will see more lace is attached at the sides. This runs across the bodice towards the side seams. Again, same appears on the back of the bodice. Below all this decoration there is a wide band or sash of silk, with a number of pleats running around it. 

The back of the bodice has the same V shape in green silk but this is in two sections because this is where the opening for the dress is located. The lace at the neck back meets and is joined by two press studs.  The rest of the opening is secured by metal hooks and eyes which run alternatively down both sides of the opening. These are not attached to the silk but to the more substantial under bodice. The sash runs along the back and is secured to one side with three metal press studs.

Sleeves are part of the bodice as already mentioned and as such have the same striped silk, pleated, with the pleats running from the top side of the arm down to the under arm seam. Measured from under the arm sleeves are about 8 inches in length. They are lined and attached at the ends is a wide band of lace which sits inside the end of the sleeves. This lace is the same as the lace already described and is two bands attached together I believe. Around the end of the sleeves, silk striped fabric, are the little glass beads again at regular intervals supporting dangles as described above.

The opening in the garment extends down into the skirt but here closures are press metal studs instead of hooks and eyes.  There is a fine braid like band attached inside the bodice of the garment at the back on one side. It is stitched down the centre so effectively you have two ends. One end has a hook and the other an eye so I assume this band goes around the waist and hooks together when it meets again at the back, helping to keep the bodice in place. 

The striped fabric of the skirt runs downwards and ends about 10 or 11 inches from the end of the skirt. At the front is is ever so slightly shaped either side of the centre forming shallow points. The end of the striped fabric has glass dangles attached all the way around, as described above but at the points hang a glass round bead, about 1/2 inch across, made up of glass, white glass and gold glass beads. This is supported on two short drops of green glass beads. Green glass beads are attached at the end of the ball, forming a kind of tassel arrangement. These balls appear only on the front of the skirt (2 in total). 

There is a silk underskirt and where the striped fabric ends the silk underskirt comes into play with three bands of the lace already described running around the skirt. Green silk fabric is attached to the underskirt where the lace starts and continues down for another 8 inches until the skirt finally ends.

This is a beautiful and substantial dress which has been beautifull made.  Whilst describing the dress I noticed a 1 inch approx. line of wear in the silk fabric on the bodice V shape, right where it attaches to the lace. Possibly a few dangles of glass beads missing here and there but so many it is difficult to account for all that might be missing. There are no enormous gaps of such dangles though and I would say majority are present. There are stains under and around the arms which is common on vintage garments of this nature. There is a rust dot, about 1/8th inch across or fractionally more on the front of the dress.  This is darker than a few others spotted which are smaller and lighter. The sash has shattered on the back but this could be easily replaced.

All the hooks and eyes appear to be present, as do the press studs. The embroidery is simply divine and I see no problems with that. As already mentioned, tons of glass beads on this dress, majority of which are present. Finally the green silk at the end of the skirt, covering the underskirt which is also green and I believe silk, has shattered along the very end. If you look at the inside here you will see that it was turned over and stitched to the back of the underskirt. Now it is separate for most part from the over turned part on the back of the underskirt. This green silk also has some tiny holes around it, some dirt marks and some what looks like water marks. Not surprising since this is at the end of the skirt. Personally I think you could remove this green silk and replace it. Alternatively it might be possible to cut out the marks by taking a chunk off all the way around and re-heming.  You still have the green of the underskirt beneath.

Please note, I am only human so I might have missed something. If I have it will be minor.

Garment is fully lined. I see no rips or tears. I see no damage to the lace or large holes in the fabrics. Apart from the marks already mentioned I see no big stained areas. A gorgeous Edwardian dress in a wearable size.

Postage and Packaging is £9.50 UK postage. I do combine postage. Please note I do not accept returns unless I have described the item incorrectly. I do ship abroad but only to countries offering a trackable service such as Europe; USA/Canada; Japan; Korea and Scandinavia. I do not ship overseas to P.O. Boxes. Thank you for your co-operation.