SARAH ELIZABETH GALLERY - ANTIQUE TEXTILE

Ivory Silk Satin Two Piece Wedding Gown 

Lined in Silk Twill, c. 1895

This refined wedding gown shows the "Leg O' Mutton" sleeve that epitomizes its time period - by making the shoulders look broader, the waist and hips look smaller. The woman's body was further sculpted by the addition of a restrictive corset, and over that, the boned bodice would have added still more shaping.

A perfectly quintessential wedding dress of this period, the fully boned (whalebone, not metal) bodice closes with a hook and eye closure at the center front. The fitted under sleeve is tight on the arm, with the puffed silk over sleeve flaring above it.  Ivory silk satin outer fabric lined in silk twill. 

The trained skirt is flatlined with white cotton, and closes with hooks and eyes at center back.  The lace and crinoline baleyeuse(pleated lace in the interior hem) is present and in good condition, quite unusual.     

The 1890s was a period of exaggeration. The wide "Leg O' Mutton" sleeve, so named because of its resemblance to the leg of an animal, served to broaden the shoulders, and by comparison, make the waist and hips appear smaller. The sleeve reached its peak about 1895, and as it began to deflate and its optical illusion diminish, corsets grew more restrictive and hats began to expand to compensate. The importance of a large bust was also paramount - advertisements are full of creams and vitamins to help women grow their bosom, and if those failed, other companies would happily sell them external bust improvers in the form of boned crinoline bodices or padded brassieres.

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