On the right the metal stay can be seen poking out of the stay casing, as well as the zig-zag stitching to keep the stay in place.
Since we know the date that the garment was worn, no guessing was required in searching out similar garments. I found similar items I found on e-bay & other online sites. I can�t imagine that the dress would be worth much on e-bay or to a museum since it is not in very good condition. Similar style items ranged in price from $25 to $185 online, depending on their condition.
This dress was made at home, both by sewing machine & hand. While white wedding dresses were apparently the first choice of color, we know that brides often wore other colors when time & money did not permit the luxury of a new white gown. The description of the dress sounds much like the description of the dress made by Laura Ingalls Wilder in �These Happy Golden Years�. In Laura�s instance, she wore a serviceable black dress that she and Ma made, since the dress had been in the planning stages when it was suddenly put into use as a wedding dress to avoid an elaborate affair managed by Almanzo�s sister.
A similar garments I saw was the Victorian jacket done by a former student for her final project as well as a mourning jacket, found on e-bay. I wonder if the dark fabric of this wedding dress was chosen for its practicality for future use, or if it was because of a death in the family when brighter, lighter colors were not worn-even for a wedding-due to mourning. I did not even attempt to draw this garment due to my limited drawing skills. I can sew almost anything I see, but I can�t draw! Do check out the line drawings of EleanorK's Victorian gown done for her final project: the lines of the bodice especially are similar to Lizzie�s wedding dress.
Wedding Traditions
The Origins of the Wedding Costume
A Vintage Wedding
VintageWedding
The History of the White Wedding Dress
Antique & Vintage Dress Gallery