hello any help dating this dress would be much appreciated. it seems to be made from a piano shawl? or inspired by one? can anyone tell if embroidery is done by hand? it seems like it was done by hand to me. thanks so much!!
It sure looks like it was made from an antique shawl. I think it has nice styling. The embroidery is probably hand done, perhaps China.
It looks to me like a 1920's dress made from a slightly earlier (maybe even same-decade) "Canton" shawl. The shawls were made in China, with the earlier 18th Century ones mostly exported to Spain, The Phillipines and South America, and later 19th and early 20th Century ones exported to all of Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. It's an unusual color and does look hand embroidered, though the embroidery is not particularly fine and the design pretty basic for one of these. I love those little ribbon flowers at the neckline.