1950\'s flock-print cocktail dress - silk or not?
As I mentioned in another post, I have a flock-print dress from the 50s too.
Custom made, no labels at all, lots of hand stitching were needed. Found it in a charity shop, where they labeled it as silk. I'm not sure about that though. I'd never seen a fabric like this before, and as it fit me, I bought it anyway. Would they really have printed silks like this, or were these flock-print fabrics always synthetics? I daren't do a burn test to be honest :duh:.
Close-up of the fabric:
The printed fabric itself is relatively thin, the lining is thicker and stiffer, and adds the needed shape.
I first had to get those folds around the top into shape again, so no photographing this morning when my mom was here. I did it with the iron, but very gingerly and with a cotton cloth over the fabric.
The back has a special treatment too, that I haven't seen before:
Metal zip (riri) on the bottom, buttons above. The buttons are covered in the same fabric. On the top and the bottom corner of the part with the button holes is a tiny metal snap to keep everything in place. There's a waist stay inside the dress too.
A look at the seam treatment:
The lining and the fabric were sewn together in the side seams, to add more stiffness.
Karin
As I mentioned in another post, I have a flock-print dress from the 50s too.
Custom made, no labels at all, lots of hand stitching were needed. Found it in a charity shop, where they labeled it as silk. I'm not sure about that though. I'd never seen a fabric like this before, and as it fit me, I bought it anyway. Would they really have printed silks like this, or were these flock-print fabrics always synthetics? I daren't do a burn test to be honest :duh:.
Close-up of the fabric:
The printed fabric itself is relatively thin, the lining is thicker and stiffer, and adds the needed shape.
I first had to get those folds around the top into shape again, so no photographing this morning when my mom was here. I did it with the iron, but very gingerly and with a cotton cloth over the fabric.
The back has a special treatment too, that I haven't seen before:
Metal zip (riri) on the bottom, buttons above. The buttons are covered in the same fabric. On the top and the bottom corner of the part with the button holes is a tiny metal snap to keep everything in place. There's a waist stay inside the dress too.
A look at the seam treatment:
The lining and the fabric were sewn together in the side seams, to add more stiffness.
Karin
Karin, that's gorgeous. Silk taffeta? Not that I know much..lets see what the others say. I'm :eyebrow2: green with envy cos I sure don't find anything that gorgeous in my local charity shop. Great find! 
