1930s gown... help needed regarding determining correct fit.

EndlessAlley

EndlessAlley

Alumni
Sorry if this is confusing....
I posted a 1930s yellow silk gown in a previous thread to confirm the date. I am now getting ready to list the gown and was surprised to find that I was unable to fit this 34, 28, 34 gown on my 34,24,34 dress form. I guess the reason was the fabric at the 28" waist has no give and the "slip on" gown has no snaps, buttons, etc.
My fear is if I list the actual 34, 28, 34 measurements the new buyer will not be able to get the gown on because of the 28" waist that has no give. Does anyone have experience with this era and style of gown?
What adjustments, if any, should I make when I post measurements in the listing? :help:

Or am I stuck trying to find someone small enough to try this gown on?
Thank you for your comments!
 
I have had this problem myself, the only answer is that the person must be smaller than the garments measurements and be able to get the smallest measurement of the garment without an opening (usually near the bust line above the snaps) around their shoulders. On a real person you can manipulate one arm at a time, dress forms are far less forgiving!
I would take all the smallest measurements on the gown, describe if they have any give or not and think about where it has to go over when somebody puts it on (i.e. shoulders, & bust will be the main points).
If it had enough fabric in the side seam you might suggest somebody could add a snap opening.

My main issue when putting these garments on was that the opening wasn't long enough. For example I would fit your dresses' measurements but I couldn't get that waist over my top half!
I'm surprised it has no give at all, is it not bias cut?
 
My experience is that a dress is actually a size down from the measurements when there aren't any openings: hence 34-28-34 looks like a size 6 (US 2) but is actually a size 4/US 0. It's the slim hips that will make it extra small - also, your mannequin needs to be smaller than the dress for it to fit.

A solution is to insert an opening, side or back but of course, that's not recommended for '30s bias cut gowns. If I were you, I would find another way to display it. For your listing, I would just emphasize that it's smaller than it looks due to the lack of openings.
 
yes the gown is bias cut, but the seam at waistline prevents the fabric from having any "give" there. I did find another way to display the gown.
I should have noted that my measurements were "flat & not stretched". The fabric at hips, because it's cut on the bias, does have stretch up to 38". It's the bodice and waist that really seem to be the problem, but your comment about sizing to a smaller size may be what I need to do. For peace of mind I think I need to find a size 2 to try this gown on before listing.
Your comments make good sense. Thank you both for your help.
 
What I do in these cases is pin the item to the front of my dress form. This works well if you have a surface you can pin to. If not, I would look for a size zero, as Nicole says, to model your dress. Look for a teenager if you can, as they tend to be slimmer in the hips and bust. Good luck!
 
Oh boy! I have some dresses still in storage that I currently cannot photograph as it is that same problem. The shoulders are too wide for even medium sizes, as they have those side zips or snaps or slip on over the head with no closures. I have 6 dress forms but still...I guess I need a friend with a tiny little teenage daughter.

Amber, I didn't think to use pins, but I would be afraid to do that on a silk chiffon or silk satin due to the pinmarks. But I will give it a try on other garments.

B
 
I have a fabulous Rita Hayworth sarongy jeweled crepe number that you have to be a contortionist to get into....it's never left my house for that reason.
 
I have a hanging "half" dress form I bought years ago before I got my manni and stand dress form, but I've kept it because it is about a size 0 or 2. It's perfect for displaying these tiny wee pieces. And because it is hollow in back, it's much easier to get no-closure or side-closure dresses on. And they're very, very inexpensive--even better!

Alice, when I have a seamed, fitted waist on a garment, I generally note in the listing something like "please note the waist size; there is no "give" here, so this dimension is critical for fit." For your dress I would add that due to lack of closures, the fit is, as Nicole says, smaller than it sounds. I also have in my boilerplate copy that people have to leave room for their bodies, and depending on the style, I list the typical recommendations for allowance (e.g., 2" to 3" at bust, 1" to 2" at waist, etc.). People should know that they can't be the same size as the garment (unless it's very stretchy) and fit into it--but some don't!
 
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