ANTIQUE VICTORIAN CHILDREN'S SILK BLOUSE WITH LACE APPLIQUÉ

A very rare and special find: this black silk blouse was made for a small girl, and dates to the Victorian Era, circa late 19th century. It likely would have been worn as mourning dress, because of the black color. While she famously grieved her husband Prince Albert's death in 1861 for the forty years that followed, Queen Victoria popularized black clothing and mourning elements of all sorts. This blouse is made from a low-shine silk taffeta (similar to silk Habotai) that was very popular in mourning dress, with camel toned crochet lace at the cuffs and neckline— this oversized yoke collar was typical of children's clothing in thee 19th century. Today, it could be worn with the buttons either in the back, or front! The buttons themselves are really lovely, and hand-carved with intricate details— you can tell that this was a costly piece made for someone of great social stature.

It is in overall great antique condition.   I cannot emphasize at all how rare it is to find pieces from this era which in even remotely wearable condition, so it have a children's blouse this well-preserved is really special. The hem is fraying but it's doing so rather beautifully and it could be cut and re-hemmed, but I believe it adds to the character of this antique piece. Otherwise, there is some minor scuffing and pinholes to the fabric, which is not noticeable unless very closely inspected; reads very clean when worn. With any questions about the specific condition or size, please email shop@verybreezy.com for additional photos or measurements, as all sales are final.

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A Victorian mourning dress for women with a similar look, from the Met's collection, circa 1872-74