Description:
Skirt: front 42 1/2"; back 52" Bodice: front 20 1/2"; back 16 1/2". Black wool gauze two piece dress. Front opening bodice secured with metal hooks and eyes, with long sleeves and high collar. Skirt is cut with train and trimmed with four insets of 1/2" tucks 17" long graduating from 2" to 4" with braid of silk taffeta 1 3/4" wide around bottom of skirt between insets. Center front of skirt has 5/8" folded band of taffeta to bottom of skirt, six sets of pleats (three on each side-no side seam. Six gore skirt). Hook and worked eye back closure. Inside of skirt at hem has a 2 1/4" facing of black taffeta. Four rows of 1/2" tucks above silk band on outside of skirt (between insets). Bodice of same material with embroidered lace trimming on front, back amd sleeves with cluny lace bib front, high collar and ends of sleeves. Black taffeta waistband to a curve in front and lattice-work buttons (sixteen) in pairs down each side of lace bib. Inside lined with black silk (eleven bones). Silk twill tape with label at waistline. Bloused front, short back. Inside bodice shaped like camesole with lace and ribbon trim and triangular padded piece in front to help achieve the fashionable monobosom or pouter pigeon front. This insert is stitched, but removable for cleaning or remaking purposes. The entire top and sleeves of wool gauze is tucked by hand in 1/2" tuck. Back hook and eye closure, six buttons on back waistband. Spots on front of skirt. A black label on the inside petersham or waistband of the bodice contains yellow letters "Laracy/ New York/ 11 West 46th St." The wearer of the dress (and the donor's mother) Eleanor Esleeck, purchased many of her clothing from better New York City-area dressmakers and department during the early 20th century. A native of Long Island, Esleeck attended Smith (class of 1908), becoming engaged to Irving N. Esleeck of Greenfield in 1916. While wealthy women a generation earlier would have purchased much of their clothing custom-made (made-to-measure), women of Esleeck's generation were beginning to purchase more ready-made clothing. Fitzgerald would begin to purchase more ready-made clothing in the 1920s from New York City department stores such as Bonwit Teller. Laracy was the most likely the name of an as-yet unidentified dressmaker.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+94.004.09 |
