Doppelganger Dresses, Part 5: Scarlett's Green Ballgown (Book Edition)

"On the bed lay the apple-green, watered-silk ball dress with its festoons of ecru lace, neatly packed in a large cardboard box.  It was ready to be carried to Twelve Oaks to be donned before the dancing began, but Scarlett shrugged at the sight of it.  If her plans were successful, she would not wear that dress tonight."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter V

For me, one of the best things about working on this blog is that I have gained much richer appreciation of Margaret Mitchell and her staggering abilities as a researcher. Because the more research I do myself (with all kinds of easy, modern shortcuts available to me), the more amazed I am by MM's impeccable fidelity to historical details, not matter how small or how large. 

This week's selection for Doppelganger Dresses is an excellent example of this. The quoted passage is just a little scrap of detail thrown into the narrative about Scarlett's preparation for the fateful Twelve Oaks barbeque. But even this small mention matches up with the historical record, as we've found a very lovely evening dress of the period that resembles Scarlett's own ball gown.

After the jump, you will find the fashion plate in question. It is taken from the January 1861 edition of Godey's Lady's Book, so just a little over three months prior to the barbeque. Check it out and let us know what you think. Do you feel that it matches up with the description in GWTW?

Green evening dress, January 1861. From Godey's Lady's Book.

Close up of the dress.

Description from Godey's Lady's Book: "Simple and elegant dress of green crape, over green silk; the bouffantes of the skirt, corsage, and sleeves caught up by ruches of white crape. Chatalaine of Cape Jessamine blossoms, without foliage; cluster of the same on the left of the skirt; drooping wreath to correspond, mixed with foliage."