dress

ΜΓ 810 Long, long-sleeved foustanin of ready-made cotton imported fabric with fine pink stripes alternating with rows of consecutive tiny dots or circles in red against a white background.   In the upper part of the dress, the two front panels, that have seams on the shoulders, reach under the armpits and cover part of the back, with their stripes obliquely placed. A third piece of fabric, with vertical stripes, forms the centre of the back. A 4 cm-tall waistband is made from a separate piece of the same fabric, with horizontal stripes.   At the front, the simple round neckline extends to a vertical opening, 42 cm tall, 14.5 cm of which below the waistband. The opening fastens with four hooks, two at the front and two on the waistband, most of them probably posterior. At the front, next to the neckline as well as below the breast, each piece of fabric is tucked and held in place with stitching for better fitting. The tuck under the breast reaches down to the waistband. At the back, a blue decorative ribbon, secured within the seam, runs along the oblique joints of the central piece to the side panels. At the middle of the central piece, a vertical band of fabric with two small, opposite-facing tucks along its edges, is flanked by blue ribbon of the same type. At the front, above the waistband, vertical bands of bias-cut fabric (height: 23.5 cm, width: 2.5 cm) flank the vertical opening. Each band is also trimmed with 0.5 cm-wide faded blue ribbon. A similar ribbon also accentuates the horizontal seams on the shoulders.   The sleeves consist of a single fabric piece with an inseam. A bias-cut ruffle, 3.5 cm in height, has been added to a 1.2 cm-tall hem on the edges of the sleeves. On one sleeve, the ruffle is made of a single band of fabric; on the other, of two joined bands. Here too, the joint of the ruffle to the edge of the sleeve is adorned with fine blue ribbon.   The skirt comprises three elongated panels, one of which is 50 cm wide and the other two 60 cm wide. In the upper part, the fabric of the skirt is turned in and gathers, particularly on the side and at the back, where it is reinforced internally with white cotton fabric and a second fabric piece, also white cotton, displaying floral motifs. A ruffle around the hemline, 7 cm in height, is defined in the upper part by a blue ribbon. Slightly higher up, two parallel horizontal pleats outline the skirt.   The entire bodice, with the sleeves, is lined with white cotton fabric. Most of the seams of the foustanin are handmade using white thread and, more rarely, red. The ribbon on the sleeves, the hemline and the breast is also secured with stitching by hand, whereas the joints at the back appear to have been made with machine stitching.   Overall, the dress appears more elaborate because of the varied arrangement of the fabric panels and the resulting combination of oblique, vertical and horizontal stripes.   Height: 118 cm (bodice with waistband: 36 cm, skirt: 82 cm). Width: 28 cm on the shoulders, 36 cm at the waist, 83 cm around the hemline. Length of sleeves: 48.5 cm. Width of sleeves: 20 cm (on the shoulders) and 12 cm (at the hem). Date of entry to the Collection: 28.7.1994 Provenance: Nicosia – Purchased from Militsa Panayiotou.