Rust Red Wool Polka Dot Day Dress

Victorian Early / Crinoline · 1860s · American

This mid-1860s American day dress features a rust-red wool fabric printed with small black polka dots throughout. The bodice is fitted with a high neckline and long sleeves that taper to the wrists. Multiple horizontal bands of black trim create decorative stripes across the chest, waist, and skirt tiers. The skirt extends to floor length with a full silhouette supported by crinolines, characteristic of the 1860s. Three distinct tiers of ruffled trim create horizontal emphasis around the lower skirt. A fabric belt at the natural waistline ties in front, emphasizing the fitted bodice construction typical of Victorian women's daywear.