And a silk dress?

Better Dresses Vintage

Better Dresses Vintage

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Oh, I love this dress. Such a whimsical pattern. And it feels so great. The way the silk is seamed and gathered at the bodice is so figure-flattering (then again, Lola looks good in most anything, being a size 2 and 6 feet tall). And the skirt is that bias-cut drapeyness yum.

No labels.

You can see that the color has gone a bit odd at the back of the bodice. My guess is it's from perspiration - I had a sweater do the same thing on me after I'd sat in a dentist chair for 3 hours.

My guess is late 30s/early 40s.

What do you think?
 
No labels at all. And now I think I have additional evidence that you are, in fact, spot on. I found this dress with the single most incredible dress ever -- a sequined Peggy Roth number that was damaged by the dry cleaner (insert bad word here!). A look through the NYTimes archives found me an article on Peggy Roth dated 1948 (a review of her show at The Plaza). The dresses are very similar in cut, style, and 'feel' (as well as size -- I'm nearly sure they belonged to the same woman).

As for the fiber, I originally thought rayon. But on closer inspection, it just seems incredibly silk-like (and burns like silk as well). Thinner than other rayons I've felt, and without that slight bumpy slub that says, "rayon."

Do you have a definite way for me to check? Doesn't REALLY matter, but I'd love to be more certain. Thanks!
 
Hi,

When you burn rayon threads, it smells similar to burning paper....silk smells like burning hair...very stinky!

There were some great "silky" rayon fabrics in the 40's which had no bumps or slubs, they could be thin, cool, and completely smooth.

Either way it is beautiful.

B
 
I agree. It's really beautiful. And exactly my size so I'd better get it listed pronto ; )...

I know what you mean by the two smells. And silk also tends to do that "curling up thing" when you burn it. Still... I am never 100% certain. Truth be told, burn tests make me nauseated for hours afterward (same with certain perfumes), so I avoid them! I figure if it's that hard to tell, who cares? I just know the thing feels divine, looks great, and obviously needs to be dry-cleaned.

I have a hard-core vegan friend who would care, so I am careful to say, "Unknown fiber, may be silk or very fine rayon" in the listing. Full disclosure, of course. Still, I'm guessing most typical buyers couldn't care less.

There are people who are allergic to certain fibers (wool, especially), and others who, for religious reasons, cannot wear certain combinations of fiber (e.g. linen and wool together is not kosher, oddly enough). So again, if I don't know for 100% certain, I say as much and let the buyer decide.
 
I agree with Barbara in that it is probably silky rayon: a beautiful material. Rayon was the first "man made" fibre and can imitate any natural fibre by look and feel, but by handling (or burning) it you can usually determine.

Nicole
 
Well ladies, if it IS rayon, it's the very best I've ever felt. I would almost bet that it's silk. But again, does it really matter? Beautiful is beautiful... And I just LOVE this dress.

Thanks again!
 
The material matters so that you know how to care for it: rayon and silk have different qualities and if you wash it the wrong way, you can damage or even destroy the fabric.

It also affects the value and some buyers will have a preference for one material over another eg, generally people prefer silk but a vegan may prefer rayon.

Nicole
 
Oh sure, Nicole, I completely agree with you. I'd never wash something I wasn't certain about, regardless. I know rayon can do some pretty weird things in water! So unless I'm absolutely certain, I'll dry clean.

Beyond that, I always disclose when I'm not 100% certain about a fabric because along with the animal-rights concerns of vegans, there is the matter of whether a fabric/fabric combination is kosher. Oddly enough, certain combinations are forbidden to those who follow the laws (e.g. wool + linen in a single garment is a no-no).

I try to give potential customers as much information as I possibly can, even if that means saying, "I really don't know for sure." : )
 
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