Purple dress with white embroidery and matching shawl

Unidentified · 1970s

A purple dress with white huck embroidery (a) and a matching shawl (b). The bodice is cross grain with a blue warp and a pink weft and is gathered along the waist and the neck. There is a round neckline bound in bias cut self-fabric. The elbow-length sleeves are one panel of straight grain fabric sewn to itself at the under arm. They are slightly gathered at the top, near the arm’s eye. The front of the skirt is one panel, and it’s pleated at the proper right and proper left hip. There are three rows of white cotton thread huck embroidery of deer and flora on the front of the skirt. A single row of embroidery also appears on each sleeve and two rows appear on the back of the skirt. The back bodice is composed of two panels separated with 22.25” metal zipper pull with plastic teeth. The zipper is set into cotton twill tape that reads [AVOID HOT IRON / IRON LIKE NYLON] in purple text. There are two 4.25” shaping darts above the back waistline and the back of the skirt is composed of two panels with knife pleats at the waist. The hem is self-face with a 5” panel of fabric, which has been folded once and machine stitched into place. All the dress seams are left raw, and the inside of the dress is unlined.