fripperiesandfobs asked: To the last ask: The brown parts are the actual parts of the dress fabric that survive. The dress was on Eleanor's corpse and so was very deteriorated when it was discovered. The cream/beige parts are fabric that was used to back the actual surviving silk and give it stability while also giving an idea of what the original skirt panels and bodice looked like.

With all due respect, apparently that’s not true. What you see of the dress is extant, and the brown staining is due to the decomposition of the body - that is why the back of the dress is more intact than the front, since the bodily fluids helped to preserve the fabric. Although if you have a source that says otherwise, I’d be happy to post it!

source, source