This is a wonderful antique Victorian era cotton dress that would have belonged to a young girl. The dress has a high ruffled neck, leg-o-mutton sleeves and does up the back with eleven covered buttons - there should be twelve, but one is missing. The bodice is decorated with embroidery, tucking and pulled thread work as is the bottom of the dress - the back of the dress has tucking down the upper back to the waistline. The skirt is gathered in tiny pleats below the waistline, so that the skirt flares out to the hemline, falling in drapes. The back of the skirt dips slightly in comparison to the front. The dress measures as follows:
Shoulders: 11 1/2 across from shoulder seam to shoulder seam
Sleeves: 19 from the shoulder seam, following the exterior contour
Sleeve inseam: 15 1/2
Chest: 28 around / 14 across pit to pit
Waist: 27 around
Hemline: 74 around
Length: 32 measured flat
Condition: This dress is in very good condition with a few small defects - two small light brown stains on the left sleeve (see last close-up photo) that I havent tried to remove, a small tear to the back of the upper right sleeve (see second to last close-up photo), a couple of pinholes, really minor, the aforementioned missing button and one loose button that would need to be re-secured. Otherwise, quite crisp and well kept, especially considering that this dress is over 120 years old!
This is a rare dress - examples of young girls dresses of this period are not common, so this is a wonderful display piece, especially if you have a doll or mannequin large enough to fit it!