Can someone tell me more about this jean patou Numbered Couture dress

prulleke

prulleke

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I would like to know more about this Jean Patou Numbered Couture dress, especially the period or year of make and if it could be a sought after piece, P1030288.jpg thanks!!
 

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This Dress can't be done up , this is the design for some reason, the number behind the label is 91131, when looking at the label resources it looks like a sixty's label but not exactly, wait i'll post a pic of it
 

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When you say "the dress can't be done up", you mean the dress is smaller than the mannequin? I doubt the dress is meant to be worn all open like this, with your underwear showing. Are the button holes functional or just for show? If the latter, it supports your suggestion that it was meant to be worn open, but it's unusual especially for the '60s.

Can you please show the underside of the label with the number? Are there any other labels, eg "Made in France", fabric content, washing instructions? Try the waist and side seams.

Your label looks similar to Jonathan's '67 label but (perhaps it's the photo), it doesn't look to be as good quality, with large stitches/weave instead of fine ones. It's also not very well sewn in but that could be because it came out at some point and was resewn.
 
There are no other labels, I have found in most of the couture pieces there are no washing instructions not even a sizing label , usually just the logo label with a tag behind it with a number, the buttons are just for show, I have seen the dress on a model, it actually looks surprisingly beautiful but maybe the dress wasn't finished yet?? I know the owner purchased it off the runaway in Paris but thats all i know about it
 
Thank you for showing us your lovely dress. I might guess (and just a guess) that there is a piece missing. The dress appears to be styled much like a coat or trench coat. The whitish colored cuffs look odd on the dress, but if there was a matching scarf, dickie or vestee in the same whitish color, then the entire dress would have a faux effect, looking like a coat with a blouse worn under it, etc. That would also explain the fact that the buttons are not working buttons.
 
Good point Barbara - '60s styles that come with white cuffs usually have matching white collars. I still can't see this dress as working worn open but as the buttonholes are just for show, it must have been that way, and needs something worn underneath. This is a conservative dress, not something risque like the styles you find in the '70s.

Prulleke, if the dress was purchased off a runway it's finished. No couturier is going to sell an unfinished dress. I think Barbara's idea about a missing piece is a good one - how was it worn when you saw it on a model? What did she wear underneath (if anything)?
 
Yes, I think something underneath could be missing, I am going to have a look if I can find something, definitely bought off the runaway though, I was told about it when the previous owner was still alive, fortunately I do know some of the story's behind the items thats why I am interested to find out as much as possible as various buyers have been fighting over this dress and i don't know why
 
I agree it's missing a modesty piece or filler that would have matched the cuffs. I believe the number you refer to is the bolduc, and would indicate it is a couture piece.
 
Amber, I wonder that too - certainly the measurements will reveal whether this dress was designed to be worn open or not. I still can't see it.

The cuffs in dresses like these are generally hand stitched in, so you can remove them - if you soak them in an oxygen bleach you can probably get that stain off too.
 
Oh I didn't even notice the cuffs. That does make me think a missing piece as well. I suggest laying it flat and seeing if the two front pieces overlap. If they do not then I think that it is not meant to close. If they do overlap to the point that the buttons could be closed if they were working then I'd be thinking that that was an option.
 
Ah, all this great advise, thanks a lot, I had another look, the front pieces don't overlap so can't be closed, as for the cuffs, yes, they are handstitched and can be taken out, the advise of soaking them in oxygen bleach is a great one too, how much of bleach do I have to mix??
 
Just follow the instructions on the packet - I could tell you but unless you're in Australia you're probably using a different product. For white cotton, I recommend hot water. I use and recommend Vanish. Note that oxygen bleach is a different product to bleach.
 
Are you sure they're silk? These are generally cotton so they can be cleaned - if they're silk you'll have some trouble getting the marks out, sorry. You can seek advice from a specialist dry cleaner.
 
Definitely silk, any suggestions about a good dry cleaner, I am in Byron Bay, the nearest reliable dry cleaner would be in Gold Coast or brisbane, don't mind to send it away either if you know of someone real good thats used to looking after Vintage, thanks Nicole
 
I recommend Bancroft's in Toorak Rd, South Yarra but there should be a decent dry cleaner in Byron Bay - at the very least I would see what they had to say, you never know. Your dress is not a high maintenance one requiring specialised care.
 
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