1940s or 1950s fabric?

awaywiffairies

awaywiffairies

Registered Guest
Hello,

I love the fabric on this dress, but I wondered if it's late 40s, though the dress may be early 50s??

The ladies on the fabric are wearing mules and wrap around ribbon tie shoes, isn't that 40s shoe fashion ? or did that carry into the early 50s? Or is this a Mexican style fabric? The dress has a side metal zip.

Seersucker or waffle cotton?

I'd love to know more about this print! :help:

Thankyou!

Sarah

ladyfullpicvfg.jpg

ladyprint.jpg

ladyfabricclose.jpg
 
Thankyou, I think the dress is lovely too and if it fit me I wouldn't let it go!

Mary Jane: :excited: I'm glad you think the same, I must be getting a bit better then! Do you think this is screenprinted?

Sarah
 
As I have the dress, are there any clues I need to look for to tell if it is screenprinted Mary Jane?

This dress cost me quite a bit to acquire so I'm hoping I might be able to ask for a decent asking price. Are dresses with these 40s prints especially if screenprinted highly desirable or run of the mill?

Sarah
 
It's hard to tell without seeing the back of the fabric, but I don't think it's plisse' or seersucker. On the printing, try to find a selvage; silk-screened is sometimes printed at the selvage edge. Claire
 
As I understand it, with screen printing they put down one color of the print at a time. In this case they started with the plain white fabric, so you can see places where the fabric was not completely covered with the color. It certainly looks screen printed to me and the print does have that 40's vibe, while the dress looks more 50's. (as Mary Jane said!)

More recently fabric is made to appear as if it was screen printed with the colors overlapping, but I don't think they did that in the 40's. With a lot of my rayon and crepe 40's dresses the print showed through on both sides. Lovely dress.
 
Claire - I can't see a selvage but there is a big folded hem, so might or might not be under there. If the fabric isn't either seersucker or plisse, any idea what it could be?

Amanda - the print on both sides are just as vivid as the other...so sounds like screenprint...

Glad you all like the dress :spin:

Sarah
 
My guess is matelase'. The back will be flatter than seersucker or plisse. Matelase' has two sets of warp and filling threads and is thicker than the other two. It is also more expensive and would justify a higher price. It's similar but not the same as brocade.

If it's not matelase, it probably cloque with the "puckers" woven in. Plisse wouldn't have lasted this long and seersucker is not as random.

If you can photo the wrong side as closely and clearly as possible, I think I can help. C
 
Here are a couple of close ups of the reverse side, first one shows the hem as well and you can see that the print is nearly as vivid as the other side and the fabric isn't much different either. Hope the photos help, I haven't got a posh camera, so I did the best I could!

CLOSEUP2.jpg

CLOSEUP1.jpg
 
I've found the selvage edge, if I understand the meaning. Here's a piccie, wanted to take a better shot but batteries run out The print is on the selvage so does that mean it is screenprinted?

fabrichem.jpg
 
Originally posted by Midge
Gorgeous, fabulous dress!!!! What's the size?

Karin
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Hi Karin, yes it is lovely, I love the colours! The waist is 28. Armpit to armpit 17 inches. My tailors dummy has a 36 bust and that's too tight so 34 bust easy.

Sarah
 
Originally posted by claireshaeffer
Well, it's not matelase. My guess is cloque'. I'll try to find a reference on how it's woven. C
Click to expand...

Hi C, it's a difficult this one! I did try and deduce what the fabric was when I first posted this topic but just thought seersucker, so all these weaves, cloque matelase are an education! I have been looking them up including images, but when I think, oh yes that looks like the one, something says not, so I'll be interested in the verdict!

Sarah
 
Does anyone else have an idea what the material is? Do you agree it could indeed be cloque? :clueless: I gonna put it on Etsy today and be good to know what it is. I will as always be very grateful! :adore:
 
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