In my constant search for antique fabrics I sometimes come across real treasures, as in this case.
A trunk from an ancient villa that contained the personal trousseau of Angiolina, a noblewoman who lived at the end of the 19th century.
A real discovery, so many beautiful and perfectly preserved pieces, thanks to the fact that they were forgotten for over a century inside this trunk.
Precious garments that tell us about another era, other lives, industrious hands that embroidered and sewed.
And in their ancient nature, all garments are still wearable today.
In my opinion, this is a perfect summer garment, it was born as a summer nightgown in beautiful linen that becomes a modern and very romantic dress for going to the beach.
This dress is wonderful, it is a truly unique piece, worn as a cover-up, for example, when going to the beach resorts.
But it is also beautiful worn, with a belt around the waist, around the city.
The fabric it is made of is a beautiful loom-woven linen, truly wonderful and fresh.
The dress features a yoke which is the strong point of this garment, as it is richly embroidered on the front and the decoration is stunning.
It depicts a basket from which flowers, bellflowers, buds, ferns and branches of leaves emerge, which overlook the name Angiolina, embroidered in a wonderful cursive script.
A unique and precious embroidery that will have required hours and hours of work and incredible expertise.
The yoke extends into two straps that join at the shoulders thanks to a fastening with three mother-of-pearl buttons, also embroidered with flower and leaf vines.
The entire perimeter of the yoke is embroidered with scalloped embroidery, both on the neckline and around the armhole.
The body of the dress extends from the yoke and opens like a trapezium and is gathered at the breast.
The line is really very feminine.
What can I say? Simply that it is wonderful and unique.
We can only imagine how much time and expertise it took to make it!
Wearing it you will feel beautiful. It is an ancient and precious garment but at the same time it is easily wearable even today. A timeless garment.
In the photos you can see that I wear it by simply completing it with some accessories but you can decide how to wear it, it is also beautiful tightened at the waist with a belt or a scarf.
The dress is obviously made of pure linen and hand embroidered. It dates back to the end of the 19th century.
This item has also been carefully washed but I did not want to dwell on some small stains that it has in some places, because it is a very old item and must be respected and loved for what it is. These are not defects but small evidence of the age that this item has.
You can machine wash it on delicate cycle or hand wash, with mild soap. However, I recommend hand washing to preserve the embroidery longer.
Air dry it and do not spin.
