Am I 50's? Fabric questions.

J

jeans05

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Am I 50\'s? Fabric questions.

I would wear this dress. If it a larger size. I just resized them below, please scroll down.

The piece is pretty heavy. The top has a fuschia piece has a few pin like holes. I am wondering if they can be secured with a mild stitch in same color threading?

The bottom is lined. Very heavy linen feel fabric. Would appreciate some thoughts on fabric, I know if it difficult to determine from a picture. Seems like a 50s common style formal.

Here it goes. I am going to have her professionally cleaned. Some of these pieces I just want to keep, but I would need a walk-in closet for just the things I fall in love with... dreaming...
 
60s I'd say, and a pretty example of its type! The fabric on top--just trying to guess here--might be in two layers, organza (crisp, sheer) over something like taffeta? Or is it one layer? The skirt has a linen-like look, but I would suspect it is a man-made blend, just because of the era. Do you know how to burn threads to try to judge the fiber content? Here is a chart that can help determine, especially if the fabric isn't a blend. If it is pure linen, it will definitely be relatively easy to test.

If the holes are really just pin-sized, not pinhead-sized, I wouldn't try to mend.
 
Thanks

The top is just one layer. I think taffeta. It has a couple of sheer areas, but not holes. I am wondering if it was a brooch that was put on it? It has pin sized remains. Probably a better way to describe. I have not tried any burn testing. I just got a chart, sounds scary. The bottom piece has an interior lining. The back piece comes off and is very similar to most poly scarfs. Do you think early 60s?

Thanks a million.
Denise
 
Actually I have been corrected from thinking early 60s for this style. I think others would concur that it's mid to late 60s in vintage...I hope someone can second that.

A burn test isn't too scary, and it is so useful to know how to do. You need tweezers and a lighter (a match ends up fouling up the scent of the burning fabric, so a lighter is the choice). Cut a small piece of fabric from an inconspicuous inside spot. You need something like a match stick size, or double match stick, ideally. Hold the fabric with the tweezers, over a sink in case you need to drop it. Bring the flame toward the fabric and watch to see how quickly it wants to burn. Then see if it wants to burn right down or go out. Then smell the burned fabric and look and feel what's left (ashes or hard bead-like substance). All these things can be tracked on a chart. Again, the "pure," non-blend fabrics are far easier to tell. Acetate, and I believe only acetate, can be melted with acetone (nail polish remover), so that's a non-burn test.

It sounds like you have brooch holes...not too serious I'd say.
 
Many thanks

Maggie,
When you are not 100% sure of the fabric, how do you handle your desciptions, if you think it is one thing and you get someone that truly knows the label and probably will know the fabric?

I will definitely use the chart that was suggested on (Ditzy Prints).
Thanks again for your help.

The top of this piece or Taffeta seems to hold stains (ofcourse under arm area), is there a technique to reduce that, or is professional cleaning the way to always go?
 
When you are not 100% sure of the fabric, how do you handle your desciptions, if you think it is one thing and you get someone that truly knows the label and probably will know the fabric?
Click to expand...

I think it is always best to state this honestly, something like "I believe this is a linen-like synthetic" and then briefly try to say why you think that (fiber burn test, look, feel, weight, drape). I think we all find it very annoying to be told something positively IS silk (etc.) and receive it to find it is something less lovely than expected.

Sweat stains are tricky--because they are a "wet stain" they often can't be removed in dry cleaning. The newer the stain the better chance. You can sometimes remove sweat stains in washable fabrics, but many fabrics of course are not washable.
 
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I agree with late sixties - and also agree with Maggie that it's best to be honest with fabrics and if you don't know, just say what you can. I've bought so many "silk" velvet, "silk" faille" and "silk" taffeta frocks on ebay and find that rarely, they are what the seller claims. It's annoying because of course, I pay a lot more for silk than rayon.
 
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