Now and then we come across an antique dress missing its underskirt.  Underskirts used a lot of fabric and so often the fabric was made into another dress, leaving the overskirt without a mate.  Here is a simple black antique underskirt that will help you complete an antique dress presentation!  Based on style and construction details, this may well date to just after the end of the Civil War and may have been part of a mourning dress.

This is quite a nice antique skirt – very solidly constructed and the cotton fabric is strong and supple.  I was quite surprised to notice that the entire skirt is hand sewn, even the long seams! 

The skirt fastens at the left side front with two hooks and eyes, that are probably original to the dress.  The skirt fabric is lightly gathered in the front with “stroked gathers” and more tightly in the back with gauging (cartridge pleats) and is set into a brown cotton waistband.  More fabric at the back is an indication that the skirt was likely worn under an elliptical hoop.  A loop to hang the skirt is at center back.  The hem is 6 ½” deep.

The condition is excellent.  The black is not faded.  The only flaws I could find were a small hole that is more of a catch, less than the size of a pencil eraser head and an area at the center back waistband where a period repair was made.  There are some dirt marks on the inside of the hem that can probably be brushed off.

Approximate measurements are given for reference only:

Waist:                30”