Red Velvet Bodice Leather Oak Leaf

This garment is fashioned out of cream silk and a beautiful saturated red velvet.

The lace is a traditional weave rendered in metallic thread. Gold pailletes dot the red velvet section in a polka dot pattern that both draws the eye and catches the light. The centerpiece is a three dimensional leather oak leaf which, over time, has been added to with a host of mismatched beads, lending the costume a forgotten air. The bodice was originally worn as a personal piece of clothing and then in its second iteration, as a costume. The colorful beads on the leather leaf speak to that next life as they are a pop of color not meant to be seen up close, but from the distance of an audience watching a performance on stage. The seams on the cream section have been let out leaving the telltale hole tracks eluding to different performers and their shapes.

The skirt was likely replaced over time.