Damaged vintage dresses worth anything?

wire9vintage

wire9vintage

Registered Guest
Hi, all. I'm sure this has been addressed here at some point, but I'm still learning my way around this great site.

I have two dresses that have damage. One is a Prima New York floor length lace gown. The lace has holes here and there. The other is a Kimberley wool dress with just a couple of holes, but overall good shape.

Question is, can they be repaired? Is it worth the effort? And, on the pink dress especially, would it be worth something to someone who would want to re do it? For instance, if someone shortened the skirt, most of the holes could be taken care of.

Any and all advice appreciated! Thanks!
 
When it comes to damage, it all depends on what damage - and it's hard to say without seeing them. Do have any photos?

I buy a lot of damaged stock because I repair and restore, but as a retailer I need to way up the work involved versus how much I have to pay for it and how much I will get for it - damaged stock is often not cost effective but the special pieces give you satisfaction, as you're saving them from being thrown away.

Regarding the first dress: old lace dresses can be hard. They're fairly easy to fix but I find that once you start, the task seems to just keep on going as you find more holes. Once they get to a certain age they're fragile and past a certain point, aren't worth repairing because they'll just keep on getting damaged. For me, I find that point is the 1950s: many lace dresses from this era will be fine, but many won't, and the older ones are usually too delicate (although there are exceptions).

Of course, it depends on what the lace is made of: cotton laces are great, so I'll generally buy those. It's the silk, nylon and polyester laces that can require more work once they start to go.

Regarding wool, again it depends on the material. If you're talking about moth holes in a woven garment, an invisible mender can do those but the repairs aren't cheap. I won't usually buy a wool garment with moth holes, but it depends on where they are. Sometimes you can darn a small hole or patch it or sew a small seam to cover it - it all depends on the garment, the fabric, the size and location of the hole.

Nicole
 
Here's the last one. This is the worst of the damage on the pink dress. This is on the shoulder and looks to include a bit of rust stain. In posting these photos, I'm starting to think the pink dress is not worth a thing. (But it's soooo pretty!!)
 
I do sew a little, but I don't know about the darning that would be required, especially on the black wool dress. The reason I wondered if either of these is salvageable, is because of the texture on the black one, making darning--I think--less noticeable, and because of the lining on the lace one. If thread were matched just right, I think you'd need a magnifying glass to really see the repairs. But the hole on the shoulder with the small stain is another problem. It's much messier in more ways than one...

Question is, are the repairs (whether I do them or I pay someone to do them) worth it? The black dress was basically free, and the pink dress cost me $9.50 (it came in a batch of other really nice things, so I could live with it not being sellable... I just love it and want to do right by it as a lovely dress... I'm weird like that!).
 
well, the black one yes, definitely. and depending on how much a local seamstress would charge you to repair, possibly. is the pink in a size that you could wear? i often find if something FITS me, i'll be more willing to spend (unknown) repair costs because at least i can wear it when finished, if not acceptable enough condition to sell.
 
I'm no pro - but for myself, I would mend the black dress, or have it mended. That textured fabric makes it easy for the mended bits to disappear. This is the kind of flaw that I can live with when I buy something vintage - I'd just repair it and wear it.

As for the lace - I have no experience with mending that, so can't really say...

Karin
 
Agree with the other ladies: the black wool dress is an easy mend. Why not buy a needle and thread and have a go yourself? If you sew on the underside and watch as you stitch, you'll probably find it a quick fix.

Re: the lace - again it can be mended. I would recommend mending both before selling as holes put a lot of people off and neither should take much work to restore.

Nicole
 
I sold a few damages ones. The ladies that bought them were mainly going to use them for plays and such. The audience is far enough away in the theatre that you can't tell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top