Edwardian Blouse 1900s Pigeon-Front Black Wool Bodice

This late Victorian pigeon-front or pleated front bodice or blouse is made of crisp, black wool woven with a tiny white dots pattern. It has black velvet trim and full, bishop sleeves with fitted cuffs. The squared-end collar and the front of the bust have black velvet ribbon accents. The velvet ribbon stripes on the bust emphasize the pleats that extend down from the shoulders to the hem. These flat pleats create a lot of fullness at the front of the bodice (hence the pigeon-front description), which is cinched in when worn by a narrow velvet ribbon sash, probably not intended to be seen, but rather tucked into the high-waisted skirt that would cover the bodice hem. This cinched-in, pleated front was meant to puff out over the skirt waistband in similar fashion to the early 1990s advertisement in our last photo. In back, the bodice has seaming to create the desired, hourglass silhouette. It flares out a bit below the fitted waist, with 2 small slits at the lower edge of the back hem.