Rescue Mission: Victorian Bodice (lots of pictures)

I sometimes have what I call rescue missions. Almost always it is a piece of vintage or antique clothing... sometime umbrellas. It's pieces that will probably only ever be bought by someone who wants to pattern it out and recreate it. I usually find them hanging on hangers that they have no business being on or wadded up and shoved in a plastic box one might store shoes in. I want to rescue every piece I find but unfortunately, I can only afford the pieces that appeal to me the most.... and aren't stupidly priced. I look for $15 or less depending on what it is. Most of what I have now has either been $5-$10. I have several pieces now and have been meaning to post about them, but I'm a slacker. But now it's time to get started so I will start with my newest and awesomest piece... which was a $5 rescue!

Front

Back

I'm not good on the actual dating of the garment yet so I don't know what year it might be. It's silk and I can't wait to recreate it! It has beautiful pleating on the front and back.

Front. This is where the majority of the shattering is.

Back pleating detail and the accent color piping whatnot.

The delicate netting neck piece. I think it was permanently attached at one time.

Lace detail on sleeve.

Sleeve with cuff folded down. Easy to see how the lace was just basted on.

The way the lace is basted on kinda makes me think it wasn't always part of the bodice. Maybe it was added on at a later date to fancy it up a bit?

The bottom half of the front is attached on one side and snaps closed on the other (your left side if you were wearing it).

Snap closures.

Folding back the front flap.

The lining closes with hooks and eyes down the center.

The lining feels like a very fine linen and looks like it was stitch with french seams or something along those lines. It also looks to be both machine and hand stitched. The fact that it has machine stitching might help narrow down the dates.

The lining is in fantastic shape!

French seam?

To the far left there's a row of hand stitching next to some machine stitching.

 The outer portion of the bodice was stitched to the lining. The difference between construction of clothing then and now is amazing. I have yet to make anything that is made in this manner, it will be very interesting when I finally get around to trying to pattern this out. I want to start with something simpler first though.