This dress is so fabulous that it needs its own feature in my dressgasm blogs. Just look at it and then we’ll talk.

Right?!

I found this dress on Pinterest and I died over it.  It comes from around the 1860s, my guess is around the Civil War, and it is mostly made of silk.  For the most part, it is an ivory dress with what I would describe as sage green sections.  My guess is the green was a little more vibrant originally but has faded over time.  The caption originally said that it came with a daytime bodice and a nighttime bodice but I don’t have an example of the daytime bodice.  The way we are seeing this dress right now is suitable for a ballroom.

What is really stunning about the ballgown to me is the detailing of the green felt rising in points along skirt to give the illusion of a gathered affect.  Additionally, the scalloped edging along the bottom of the skirt matches well with the ivory fringe falling from scalloped detailing a little higher on the skirt.  And then, of course, there is ivory lace detailing, which would appear to be too much for a dress that already has scalloped edges, fringe detailing, more than one color, etc., but everything comes together to create a beautiful garment.  The green and ivory striped belt with rosette in the center seems to tie everything together and keep it grounded.  Everything about the stress has design, structure and purpose, which shows exactly how skilled dressmakers of the 19th century were.  The woman who wore this dress was probably quite wealthy because she could afford so much extra trim and silks in different colors.  She clearly wanted to make the most of her dress by having a different bodice she could wear in the daytime.