A c. 1884 Bustle Bodice

The lapels are piped with a thick cord. They were sewn to the bodice right side to right side, leaving the raw edge exposed. The silk lining has the seam allowances turned under and is slipstitched to the lapel.

On the left, though the buttons are missing, the stitches that held them into place remain so you can see where the bodice would've closed. On the right, the stitches that secure the collar to the lining can be seen on the top edge.

The bodice is unfortunately damaged, but that damage gives a good view as to how it was made. The silk satin accent fabric was laid flat on the ribbed silk and sewn. The lapel was then sewn to hide the join between the fabrics.

The lapels aren't symmetrical. They do, however, start the same distance from the center front which makes the difference not very noticable.

The side back seams are placed slightly differently. The one on the left is below the side back seam, while the one on the right is slightly above it.

On the left, a close-up of the tails showing the wrinkling that resulted from sitting over a bustle. On the right, the right lapel doesn't follow the line of the satin the way the left does. Instead, some of the shaping is caused by angling it in a little. This was most likely an alteration, since the center front on this side has been extended and the buttons are sewn directly to the old edge. This would have made the satin wider on this side than the other, so the lapel had to be moved.