Casgliadau Arlein

Wedding dress consisting of a long bodice, skirt, neck ruffle, bustle and apron. The bodice and skirt are of very narrow striped bright blue silk. The apron is of coffee-coloured lace or drawn thread work. Worn by Mrs Eleanor Rees (née Phillips) on her wedding at St Elvan's Church, Aberdare, 1873.

Skirt is made from silk taffeta with a pattern of narrow blue stripes on a white ground. The white stripes are the width of 12 warps, the blue stripes are made from eight blue warps and the pale blue stripes are the result of alternating blue and white warps over a stretch of eight warps. The weft consists of only white yarns. The skirt's lining is gold/brown cotton twill. It has a 3.5cm wide, brown chintz waistband. There is a large pocket on the PR side, hidden inside one of the pleats. The pocket lining is made of the same fabric as the lining of the skirt. There is a small, horseshoe shaped watch pocket to the PL of the centre front; it is accessed from the outside, just below the waistband. Its lining is made from the striped blue taffeta silk. There is a 43cm long side slit opening on the PL which has a waist fastening of three metal hooks and eyes. The middle of the centre front is flat but pleating starts towards the sides which continues towards the back (six on each side). An 8cm wide section at centre back is densely pleated in order for the fullness of fabric to help create the bustle shape of the dress. The skirt has a hemguard of blue wool braid. The skirt is made from a mixture of machine and hand sewn stitches.