Dating antique? smocked silk baby dress/smock

[Pinkcoke]

This feels like crepe de chine to me, I haven't burn tested it though. Very lightweight, it had a 3.5" hem that has been let down, possibly the original hem as the edge is unfinished and just has a tiny foldover but is not worn or distressed. Kind of looks like that might have been done to make it a christening gown rather than an everyday dress. The material width is of interest, as the front half is sewn from one width of the fabric - both side seams contain the selvedge and this side is 35" wide. the back is slightly narrower oddly, maybe they used part of that for somewhere else though. I can't remember when the fabric widths changed - I remember both Nicole and Linn have this knowledge - I don't!
All the stitching looks hand sewn except perhaps the stop stitching at the bottom of the placket, it may just be very neat stitches however as the rest is immaculate.
The most interesting thing for me is the hand made underarm guards which are sewn into the sleeve seam binding and are fine cotton - I have never seen this on a child's garment but it does rather suggest this was made either to be worn regularly or for special occasions to prevent spoiling the silk.
The collar is embroidered with flowers on all four corners and the garment fastens with handmade thread/cord buttons and loops, frog style.

 

[Liz Turner]

No idea on age or anything - but so beautiful.

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

Such a gorgeous little dress! I agree that the underarm shields are puzzling... since when do babies sweat?

As for dating a smocked dress such as this, it can be very difficult. I was once heavily into smocking dresses, I even had a dress pattern and a smocking stitch pattern published in a now-defunct American magazine called Creative Needle. There is still an interest in "heirloom sewing", and dresses like this are still hand sewn by enthusiasts. I used to be a member of the Smocking Arts Guild of America but I've fallen away from the hobby now that my daughter is much older. The smocking stitches used on your dress are basic and used widely by smockers today, but then, the stitches really haven't changed over the years. Sorry that I wasn't really any help!

My apologies for high-jacking your thread but I can't help sharing just a few of the things I made when my daughter was young. Thanks for bringing back the memories!

 

[Vinclothes]

Those little arms flying around could cause under arm wear. Especially on fine silk fabric. Absolutely beautiful smocking, VV.
Marian

 

[Jonathan]

The museum was just donated a very finely smocked dress that was worn by an 11 year old who was a flower girl at a 1935 wedding. So the technique was certainly in use for a very long time.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Melanie, I'm getting an older feel from your dress: Arts and Crafts era, so early 20th century? It's probably the floral embroidery and the fine silk that is giving me that feel. Childrens wear can be hard to date, and this style of dress was worn for a long time.

The fabric does not look like a crepe de chine to me, which has a slight texture. This silk has a slight slub, a rustic look.

I wonder if it was originally longer, for a christening dress and then shortened, to wear as a dress, and then later taken down?

 

[Pinkcoke]

Thank you for your comments everyone.

Such a gorgeous little dress! I agree that the underarm shields are puzzling... since when do babies sweat?

As for dating a smocked dress such as this, it can be very difficult. I was once heavily into smocking dresses, I even had a dress pattern and a smocking stitch pattern published in a now-defunct American magazine called Creative Needle. There is still an interest in "heirloom sewing", and dresses like this are still hand sewn by enthusiasts. I used to be a member of the Smocking Arts Guild of America but I've fallen away from the hobby now that my daughter is much older. The smocking stitches used on your dress are basic and used widely by smockers today, but then, the stitches really haven't changed over the years. Sorry that I wasn't really any help!

My apologies for high-jacking your thread but I can't help sharing just a few of the things I made when my daughter was young. Thanks for bringing back the memories!

In my search for a comparable VV I did find some lovely contemporary examples on Etsy which were very reminiscent in style indeed.

Melanie, I'm getting an older feel from your dress: Arts and Crafts era, so early 20th century? It's probably the floral embroidery and the fine silk that is giving me that feel. Childrens wear can be hard to date, and this style of dress was worn for a long time.

The fabric does not look like a crepe de chine to me, which has a slight texture. This silk has a slight slub, a rustic look.

I wonder if it was originally longer, for a christening dress and then shortened, to wear as a dress, and then later taken down?

That sort of age was my feeling too Nicole, not that I have much to back it up with! It does remind me of those painter's shirts though, sorry I don't know the correct term. I did wonder, since the raw edge was fresh, if the hem was actually original and the previous owner let it down fully after it began to undo, rather than re-sew it (I can certainly appreciate hand sewing a hem like that would take time and patience, not to mention skill, not something everyone has).

I did find this example in the V&A which has lots of similarities, albeit for an older child perhaps. They call it washing silk, which is not a term I've heard before:
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1125632/dress-unknown/

This Liberty dress employing similar techniques also has some interesting information accompanying it about the style around the arts and crafts period:
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O108865/dress-liberty-co-ltd/

and one more Liberty dress; very similar in shape and techniques, just a different fabric and no smocking on the sleeves, does have the double bound button fastening however:
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O79296/little-girls-dress-liberty-co/

and this is what they evolved from (what I was calling a painter's shirt ):
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O107575/smock-unknown/