Help dating a crocheted dress

Elizabeth1888

Elizabeth1888

Registered Guest
Hello,

I recently acquired this crocheted/knit? dress. There are no openings. The seams are hand stitched. They are on the front and back skirt, plus there are side seams on the top portion. It has a 4" hem. There is elastic that was threaded through the waist.

The yarn appears to be cotton.

I have been looking at vintage patterns but I really can't tell when this is from.

It is hard to see but the last picture shows the detail of the seams and hem.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you!!

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Lovely dress. Can you show the photo right side up? Your picture is sideways and we cannot see the true shape and length of the dress, and where the waist seam sits, all of which are needed clues.

It appears to be mid to late 1930s. Hard to be sure as it is stretching out in the photo.
 
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Hi Barbara,

Here is a picture of the dress right side up. It seems to be for a petite women, the bodice is on the shorter side.

Thank you for your response!!
 
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I think it would be helpful to see it being worn or know the measurements. I've had a few of these that were '60s-70s although I agree that the style looks '30s, the promotions will be revealing.
 
Thank you all for your help! I've attached some pictures of me in the dress. Keep in mind I'm 5'8. I think that it may have been for a petite women. The bodice measures 14" from the top of the neck to the elastic waist and then 26"'from the waist to the hem. image.jpeg
 
Too short for '30s unless it's for a child. Would help to see the hemline returned but the shoulder to waist measurement is also too short for a '30s adult.
 
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Here are some pictures of the hem. As a knitter there are a few things I noticed. The hem seems unfinished, like it wasn't bound off. Not sure how it works with crochet. There aren't really any seams. On the first picture I pointed out the 'seam' plus the hem. On the second picture I pointed out the seam plus how the elastic was woven in. Thank you again!!!


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That looks to me like it might have been cut, and then turned up.

I wouldn't normally expect a hem on a crochet dress, instead that it would be finished off in a similar way to the sleeves.

The colour seems appropriate for 30s, and less likely for 60s/70s.
 
Yes, it measures 14" from the top of the shoulder to the waist.

Ruth- I was also wondering if it was cut as well since the hem is unfinished. In all other ways, it seems hand crocheted with very nice finishes, so it seems odd that the hem is kind of cut off. I wasn't anticipating wearing it since it is very short. I was thinking about letting the hem down, but I am nervous that it might unravel or something similar.

MS- would does a half size mean?

Thank you all for your help!

Here is the same picture right side up.

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Thanks for the added photos. I will stick with my original assessment of 1930s. The collar area has a very 30s look. Most likely the dress was shortened as hemlines greatly changed throughout the 1930s, changing almost every year from very early 1930s (almost ankle length) to mid 30s (calf length), and by 1938 hems were hovering around the knees where they stayed through WWII. So it makes sense if it was shortened. Waistlines on women's dresses in the early to mid 1930s sat slightly above the "natural" waistline, so that might account for your short waisted dress.

Nicole mentioned it might be a half size. What that old fashioned term means is a dress that was styled for an overweight woman, or a short stout woman, much like todays plus sizes. These " half size" dresses, i.e. 14 1/2, 18 1/2 etc, were almost always short waisted, with a waist line resting higher (like yours), which was thought to give a slimming effect and create a bit more comfort for the wearer.

The dress is really a nice find and a lovely color.
 
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