Alterations?

Has the dress been altered since its original creation?

From Research Process Part 1 - 1910's Franklin Simon gown

There is a tuck in the lace layer of the skirt, just below the waist level, all the way around, which is hidden by the jacquard overlay. It is not quite even all the way around. Was it original on the dress, providing some sort of shaping to the skirt? Or is it a later alteration?

One other detail suggests that it might be an alteration: on the snap closure placket at the center back of the skirt, the lace layer sits higher than the lining layer. The lining could easily have been re-hemmed right at the bottom to adjust the length, but the lace, with its border design and beading, would have to have been raised at the waist (and is conveniently covered by the overskirt).

Another detail I've considered is the nature of the beading. The beadwork continues up the length of the lace skirt, even though much of it is covered by the overskirt. I thought this also might be an argument for an alteration, but in fact I now think it just indicates that the lace was beaded as yardage before being cut into the skirt.

Was the dress made to order, or ready to wear, or something in between?

Another option exists, somewhere in the middle - that the dress was in the middle of the spectrum between ready-to-wear and made-to-order, so that parts of the dress (inner waistband, lining, skirt) and were already made, but then altered for the specific wearer, whereas other parts (sash, overlays) were applied for the specific wearer. Then it would make sense that the skirt length was altered, even for its original wearer (not unlike a modern bridesmaid's dress).