a couple of questions about this novelty print dress

Ineke Veenstra

Ineke Veenstra

Registered Guest
Hi,

I bought this novelty print dress and I have a couple of questions about it.

First the info:
metal side zipper from "zipp" it has a number "25"marked on the inside
there are belt loops for a wide belt
It is missing a button in the front. Must be a large button, as you can the size of the hole
Above the missing button is a popper
This dress has long sleeves and at the end openings on both sides (manchetes?)
It is rather short. Right above the knee (I'm 177 cm/ 5,8 ft tall)
The hem is handsewn and is shorter than half an inch
It has a size label. size 42. I'm a modern EUR 38. Size Medium and it fits me well.
It also has a brand label, on the front side just above the waist line. One is saying 'Italien. Material" and the other one "URSEL Port MODELL"

The questions
- What kind of fabric is used? My mom thinks its cotton, and the inside looks like cotton, but the outside feels really smooth.. In between satin and cotton..?
- Is this what they call novelty print?
- Is this fifties? It really looks like fifties, but I'm not sure about the length. Could it be shortened?
- What's up with the ends of the sleeves? Do I need to flip them over and fasten them with manchetes? Did they originally come with manchetes?
- Does anyone know more about the labels?
IMG_20151021_111528.jpg IMG_20151021_093858a.jpg IMG_20151021_094126a.jpg IMG_20151021_094141a.jpg IMG_20151021_094149a.jpg IMG_20151021_094201a.jpg IMG_20151021_094235a.jpg IMG_20151021_094252a.jpg IMG_20151021_094434a.jpg IMG_20151021_094459a.jpg IMG_20151021_094509a.jpg IMG_20151021_094531a.jpg IMG_20151021_094610a.jpg IMG_20151021_094626a.jpg IMG_20151021_094644a.jpg IMG_20151021_094654a.jpg IMG_20151021_094707a.jpg IMG_20151021_094740a.jpg IMG_20151021_094813a.jpg IMG_20151021_094831a.jpg IMG_20151021_094857a.jpg IMG_20151021_094906a.jpg IMG_20151021_094917a.jpg
 
Yes, I agree with Deborah: it looks like a '50s polished cotton novelty print shirtwaister. Cotton is the fabric (or textile) and "polished" is the weave, it's a satin weave so you're right when you say between cotton and satin, effectively it's both. Polished cotton is also called "cotton sateen".

I also agree that the skirt has been shortened but Deborah's right - you're quite tall for a '50s woman and it's likely to have been made for a shorter woman. If you measure the length from waist to hem it will help determine when the skirt may have been taken up.

I can't see the size of the buttons but if they're big that points to late '50s, perhaps early '60s (hem length is shorter in the early '60s too but it looks like the hem has been cut so not telling how long it was originally).

Regarding the cuffs, it sounds like they could be French cuffs, you fold them back and a ladies version of the cufflink secured them together. You can see an example here.
 
Weirdest print I have ever seen from that era... the ass and elephant suggest it is making an American political statement but ZIpp is a German manufacturer, the label says its Italian and the sizing is European, so its obviously European, not American.
 
Great dress Ineke, does it just fit you at the waist and larger in the top? or is it a good fit all round? if the latter I'd suggest it has been taken in and made smaller (probably at the same time it was shortened) as I have some 1950s size 42 garments and they are much too big for me, and I am much the same size as you. You can check this by opening the front or turning it inside out to show the bodice seams and comparing them to an unaltered seam in the dress (such as inside the sleeves or sides of the skirt)

I agree with Jonathan it's a strange print - I can see the donkey, elephant and fruit bowl/basket - what is the last motif? a china cup/saucer?
 
Cute dress! I'm pretty certain it was made in Germany. It says "Italien. Material" - the dot points to a shortened word and I thin that stands for "Italienisches Material" - Italian material - referring to where the fabric was made. And the other label would point to the manufacturer - or maybe the boutique where it was sold. Ursel Port is a name - Ursel being an old-fashioned German short for Ursula. And "Modell" - well, model, design, what you want to call it. They often used that term, maybe as a way of making it sound a bit posher.
And the cuffs - agree, French cuffs that you would fold down and wear with cuff links. The skirt of your dress looks very full, which to me puts it more in to the early 60s.
Can you measure the dress? I could compare it with Burda measuring charts from the 50s and 60s. I'm a modern 34 to 36 (depends on brand and if we're talking tops or pants...), and find that in sizes from that time I take a 38 or 40, so the sizing looks to be about right to me.
 
So,

Shortened/ Altered?
From waist to hem it measures 63 cm / 24,8 inch
Total length is 101 cm / 40 inch
I don't know about the shoulders, but they are hanging a bit, like it's too big for me. That's weird as I have "big shoulders" (puffed sleeves and shoulder pads look really weird on me)
The seams are all looking the same, but maybe there is an extra pleat in front, it is a seamed in a more reddish color, the other seams are a bit more purple red. Could be just reparations... I don't know..
IMG_20151022_162209.jpg IMG_20151022_162247.jpg IMG_20151022_162302.jpg IMG_20151022_162351.jpg IMG_20151022_162415.jpg
The last photo shows the I think you call it bust pleat? It's the horizontal pleat at your bust. You can see the different shade of red.

French cuffs?
Yes they are french cuffs! That's how you call it! Now in search of manchete buttons/ cuff links that will look cute for this dress. I've found some ruby red ones and also black ones with the original box. Thinking about buying the black ones. They are about 8$, I've never bought them but I think that price is okay.
$_84.JPG $_841.JPG

Labels/ origin?
I agree that this could be a German dress. "Italien. Material" is indeed German for "material from Italy" (Italienisches Material)
I'm from The Netherlands, next to Germany. So maybe the dress was made in Germany and through the years traveled it's way to The Netherlands.
So now I think it's sure that this dress is made in Germany with novelty fabric from Italy.

Novelty print?
Here are a couple of photos so you can see the print:
IMG_20151022_163444.jpg IMG_20151022_163457.jpg IMG_20151022_163507.jpg IMG_20151022_163516.jpg
Maybe there is no story behind it and it is just a fun print with animals and food?

Era?
The skirt is full
IMG_20151022_163425.jpg
This is the widest I can get the fabric.

The measurements are:
Total length: 101cm/ 40 inch
Skirt Length: 63cm/ 24,8 inch
Shoulder to shoulder: 50cm/ 19,5 inch
Bust: 51cm/ 20 inch
Waist: 37cm/ 14,5 inch
Sleevlength: 60cm/ 23,5 inch (unfolded cuffs) and 53cm/21 inch (folded cuffs)
 
Thanks for measuring. That points actually to an even bigger size... Had a look through Burdas from 1958 to 1966, and that waist measurement corresponds to somewhwere between a size 42 and 44 :puzzled: - and the bust to an even bigger size. Though of course the top could be meant to be a bit more blousy... To me it still looks good for early 60s.
 
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