Blouse - 40s or 60s?

[Birdie]

This is a gorgeous striped blouse (not sure what the fabric is exactly, it's a plain weave and feels synthetic and is slightly lustrous) with sash to tighten waist and metal zipper at the back of the neck with a round zipper pull.

I could see it being 40s or 60s, but can't figure out when exactly it's from. There are no shoulder pads, no lining, no tags at all..

Any help?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pinkcoke]

These round zipper pulls were originally used for outdoor clothing to aid grip when wearing gloves then they became part of the fashion design of a garment in the 60's. This one doesn't appear to be doing either, which makes me think it was just an old zip in the sewing box that was the right colour/length to use for this garment, and as such can't be used for dating it.
My first thought was the overall shape looked 1980s, with the raglan shoulders, blouson top and bias bound edges. I can see the fabric is probably older, but again this could have been from the sewing cupboard. Can you tell is the binding all cotton or a polycotton? I know this has changed over the years, so might help to tell us when it was made. Can you also look at the hem and see if the thread/stitching matches the rest of the garment? as I find the tie a little incongruous so low - it would have made more sense if it were a dress that was altered.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Yes, if you can include some close ups of the fabric, bias binding and seams/hem it will help us see construction techniques.

My feeling on the available information (which conflicts somewhat with your words) is that it is a cotton seersucker top home made in the '60s using an older zipper.

If the seekersucker is nylon (plisse), as you suggest a synthetic fibre then it could be earlier but the styling, especially the bias binding trim on the sleeves suggests '60s or '70s.

Construction and fabric confirmation will help considerably: home made items are the hardest to date as most of us start collecting our stash at a young age (mine, for example, goes all the way back to the satin ribbons and braid I bought with my pocket money as a child to trim my dolls clothes) and we tend to also retain the techniques we learnt early, rather than using modern corner-cutting skills.

 

[Birdie]

Thank you so much Melanie & Nicole for all of your insight! Very interesting tid-bit about the round zippers!

I took as many pictures as I could so you are able to see the fabric and more of the construction. I am awful at determining fiber using the burn test, and this fabric has me slightly stumped. The binding feels thick and stiff, and although I can't pin point what I think it is, I am pretty sure it isn't blended with poly. The rest of the fabric has a bit of a sheen to it, less than rayon but I'm not convinced it's cotton either.

Hopefully my pictures will help fill in some blanks

Thanks again ladies!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Thanks for the extra pics Birdie, your top is an interesting one.

The photos indicate a home sewn garment, with hand stitched button holes which suggests an earlier date. The hem also looks earlier, but as mentioned, it could just mean an older seamstress who is using techniques she honed in her youth. Even now, I prefer to hand stitch my button holes as I dislike machine sewn ones (this makes me very unusual but I personally prefer hand stitching to machining).

More information please:
Can you please provide a photo of the front of the sleeve opening binding: basically, I wonder if it is top stitched or sewn and then folded back (which is the older technique and the one I favour).

Also - can you please photograph any seams that are not finished off with the selvedge, eg, how are they finished, with a row of stitches, pinking, serged or raw?

The fabric is reading like a heavy linen or cotton, even a bit canvassy.

I'm thrown by the styling though, and this may not be the way it was intended to be worn. Can you please provide bust, waist and hem diameter measurements?

I'm trying to see this as a '40s top and the shape is throwing me off. I wonder if it was a maternity top or a maternity dress that was recut into a top? The hem is old style though: can you tell if the same thread has been used for the hem as for the seams?

 

[Birdie]

Thanks again for your help ladies.. I really wish we could have solved this one but the blouse sold before I could snap any more pictures