Sabrina

Fun! There are a lot of discussions about the darted vs pleated or gathered bodice and what was for cotton, what was for silk or wool, etc. and frankly I am no help to you there. No idea. But I agree with Jen about the skirt shape; for 1867-8 there is a transitional period with really flat-butt hoops, almost a straight cone shape, and skirts gored with smooth waists, as opposed to the rounded bell shape of 10 years earlier. As for sleeves I think the difference is that once you start creeping up toward the early bustle era you get the "coat" sleeve; wide all the way down, full ends or cuffs, but earlier the fulness was in the upper arm mostly and tapered to the wrist. Just look at as many fashion plates for your target year as you can find.