1920s dress advice please

[KnittyLes]

Hello!

I am so pleased to have found this website. It is an amazing source of information and help. Can anyone give me guidance with a wonderful dress?

As an experienced seamstress I have been asked to make some repairs to a black beaded dress that I believe is from the early 1920s. After looking at it closely I feel certain that this is a very special piece and deserves more than a simple repair.

The dress is shown in the first photo. The lace at the sides are not sleeves but lace drapery. The triangular shapes fall from the shoulder and the waist line.

The dress is in three layers. The outer layer is black net with a beaded art deco design. There is some bead loss and some of the large dome shapes are damaged or missing. Some of the lace drapery has been torn and one side has been pulled away.

The second layer is a woven gold fabric that I suspect has oxidized.

It the inner layer that is astonishing. It has a waist length bodice made of ivory silk with a black silk skirt. The seams have been overcast. The darts have been shaped and their edges overcast. The bottom of the bodice is finished in tiny french lace. The armpits have perspiration guards that are stained. The most interesting detail of the bodice is a pair of bum pads (to give the desired boyish shape?) and two long silk loops of ribbon.

Nobody ever got into this dress without help. The bodice closes down the centre back with hooks and eyes. The gold layer does as well, but it is also attached to the inner bodice at the top and side with snaps. The final bead layer closes at the back left seam with snaps and a line of snaps attaches to the other layers at the neckline.

The dress has a label at the centre front which says "Gowns Anderson Chicago" If the dress is in fact 1920 and made in Chicago it would put it right in the middle of the "Jazz Age"!! Louis Armstrong, Speakeasies...so romantic!!

So...here are my questions. Is this dress as special as I think it is? Should I make any repairs at all? My thought was to stabilize the tear in the lace with an underlay of silk tulle and tie off loose threads to prevent any more bead loss. If the dress is important would it be better to leave the whole thing to a conservator? Does anyone have any information about Anderson Gowns?

Any and all help, advice, guidance would be very much appreciated. to give the owner proper advice and I don't want to make an error with this. Thanks in advance!!

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

Sorry, I've no advice to offer you but I did find a mention of a Miss E. Anderson of Anderson Gowns, Chicago, in the American Cloak and Suit Review. She is listed as a "Trade Notable" traveling overseas on the Savoie in 1922. Unfortunately, it says nothing more than that:
https://books.google.com/books?id=_...#v=onepage&q="anderson gowns chicago"&f=false

 

[Better Dresses Vintage]

My personal take on it, which some will disagree with, is to fix it (you sound like you have the skills to do so), then wear and love and enjoy it as long as it lasts. The museums are stocked. It does not need to be entombed. It's a dress. It's meant to be worn.

http://betterdressesvintage.com/blogs/from-my-closet/15155845-in-a-box-with-tissue-paper

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Hello,

What a beautiful dress! Since this is not your own dress and belongs to another person, the decision to make any attempts to restore this should be left up to the owner. Since it seems he or she is asking you for your advice, there should be some agreement between you and the owner regarding any further damages that might occur as a result of your restoration attempts. It is possible that the fabrics may not hold up to being sewn or to holding up replacement beads. You might make repairs and when the dress is worn (if that is the intent) it will start to fall part or shred from the weight of the beads and trims. So an agreement can be a good idea.

This is always a very tricky situation when asking for advice. I don't think anyone here on the VFG would be willing to advise you definitively about the repairs, as we do not have the dress here to examine. And it seems a bit fragile from your description and photos. But, if it just needs a small area of beading repaired and you feel it is sturdy enough, backing it as you said is a great way to start.

I see Liza's point too. If the owner wants to wear it, as long as she is aware of the risks and takes the responsibility off of you ...then maybe make an attempt to restore it. It could have a few more moments on the dance floor.

From a collecting standpoint, it is not what you would call an "important" dress. However, it is a wonderful example of the style and period, and the workmanship is lovely. My feeling is that the cost to send it to one of the few professional conservators would be prohibitive compared to its value. While those period dresses are getting more and more scarce, they are not considered rare enough to warrant that great expense.

You might want to contact to Chicago historical society or museum to see if they are interested in it. I do know that Chicago has a very strong interest in preserving its fashion and local dressmakers history.

I cannot tell for certain what the vintage year of the dress is, as we would need to see it placed on a person or a mannequin to determine the date. The length is a factor in dating as well. From what I can tell, it looks to be early 1920s. It has elements of late 'Teens and late 1920s too.

It is lovely.

 

[KnittyLes]

Sorry, I've no advice to offer you but I did find a mention of a Miss E. Anderson of Anderson Gowns, Chicago, in the American Cloak and Suit Review. She is listed as a "Trade Notable" traveling overseas on the Savoie in 1922. Unfortunately, it says nothing more than that:
https://books.google.com/books?id=_WZYAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA142&lpg=RA3-PA142&dq="anderson gowns chicago"&source=bl&ots=FtqpPx9rXy&sig=hWHMQjRcUj67Y9Lkt_JIlTXsWb4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=G9caVa32C8G4ggTs6oPQDQ&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q="anderson gowns chicago"&f=false

Thank you. It gives us a place to start

 

[KnittyLes]

Thank you for the thoughtful replies. I'll pass this on to the owner and see where she wants to go with it. Rather than wearing it she may prefer to sell it. I'll make some small repairs to keep it intact.

 

[KnittyLes]

I have attached two more photos of the dress on a mannequin. The first picture will give an idea of the length. The mannequin is set for Approximately 5'6" the second picture shows the complicated back closure

 

[Vinclothes]

Are you sure that is the back? In my experience, it is much more typical of a front opening. Try it on the other way and see what you think.
Marian

 

[KnittyLes]

Thank you for the suggestion. It makes sense as it would certainly make it easier for someone to dress themselves. I don't think this the case though. The silk lining/under bodice is shaped with darts, definitely curvier in the front to accommodate a bust. Putting the closure at the front would put the hip pads over the stomache and the lace "wings" falling in front of the arms.