This dress was conceived at the Impressionism exhibit at the Met last year, which featured dresses of the period next to paintings that depicted them. I was particularly taken with the treatment of each seam of the bodice, either topstitched with tiny stitches or piping. I opted for the latter, fussing and fussing until I got the exact scant 1/8" exposure of blue-grey striped cotton in between each bodice piece.

The bodice is constructed from off-white linen with tiny pinstripes. The inlaid gussets are ocean-blue shot cotton. The bodice is entirely lined with canvas and boned throughout with spiral steel boning, which allows for support but also comfort of movement. The bodice is entirely edged with the same tiny piping right down to the little "duck" tail, including the center front, which joins with gold grommets and matching ribbon.

The snowy-white cotton underdress is edged with Battenberg tape lace. The lace peeks out at the sleeve edge, around the hem, and all down the front. The skirt gathers in a pelisse at either side of the skirt front, sliding up with ribbons. There is a center front panel of off-white very old antique lace. In the back, lace twines down the gathered bustle and train, which trails about two feet behind the skirt. A ribbon channel lines the neck of the underdress and the satin ribbon can be tied at the center front.

The white cotton underskirt is floor-length and includes a large tulle bustle, filing out the back bum gathers and propping up the duck tail of the bodice.

The overdress has enough room to slip on over the head, while the underskirt fastens closed at the side waist.

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