Blue Silk Dress

This blue silk dress with woven black stripes is an example of remaking an older, expensive garment into a new, fashionable piece. In 1904, the stitching of the original dress was removed and the dress remade. The label reads, 'Ida Hochmuth, Atelier für DamneKostüme, Görlitz.' All of the extra pieces of fabric were saved, to the extent that we can see today what the original gown looked like. In its first life in 1865, the crinoline dress featured a high-necked bodice and long sleeves with shoulder caps, a small collar, and a belt with a small bow at the front and a large bow at the back. The stripes woven into the fabric were carefully incorporated in the design. Black lace was a commonly used form of decoration for this type of dress. This type of black lace is now stitched under the transparent neck inset, which is made of pleated silk. So the former dress was probably also decorated with black silk.