History & Notes: First worn by Roxana Niles Wild Dibble, this vivid gown would have made a striking ensemble as she said her vows to Herbert Louis Dibble while the couple sailed around Cape Horn. With its two corresponding bodices, the skirt represents a wonderful example of the changes a single article of clothing might undergo during the wearer's lifetime. In the 1860s, when Roxana wore the gown on her journey west, skirts reached a truly gargantuan fullness. Supported by crinoline underskirts, yards of fabric were gathered in tight cartridge pleating all around the waist to create a bell like silhouette. In its current form, Roxanna's skirt does not have the characteristic fullness one would expect, and appears to have been remade to accommodate the shifting styles of the 1870s. As Roxanna's body changed, so too did the skirt. Its current waistline is 2" wider than that of the either of the bodice tops, and shows small nicks along the refitted band where alterations had taken place.
Description: Three piece violet, floral printed silk ensemble comprising a formal gown bodice, jacket, and skirt. Gown bodice features a sharply pointed waist and off-the-shoulder sleeve with a pleated purple silk fringe around sleeves and neckline. Hidden front hook and eye closure is embellished with a tapered clumn of buttons connected by loops of purple cord. Back has a small even column of cord stitched into the center seam. Jacket features drop shoulder with black lace trim at the upper arm and cuff. Beaded faux buttons decorate front hook and eye closure. Skirt is trimmed with two wide ruffles edged in white lace. The skirt appears to have been remade after initial construction as the waistline is 2" wider than that of the bodice tops, and shows small cuts where alterations may have taken place.
Object Number: 1971.119.0005
Object: dress --dress, wedding
Category: Women's Garments
Circa: 1860
Materials: silk, cotton, metal, lace, beads, wire