Dating cotton dress? Seamstress ??s

[Erin Wells]

Hi everyone!

I picked up this dress over the weekend but there are a few things about it that confuse me. I was hoping it would be a 40s era cotton dress, but I feel like the sleeves are too short? No shoulder pads. Also, it has pockets, was that original to the era? The print is interesting and I rather like it. The buttons are plastic, not wood as they may appear in the photo.

My question to a seamstress, is , I have never seen the black material ( shown in photo) in what looks like a homemade dress. Can you tell me what that is? The sewing looks professional in some areas and home sewn in others.

I would love any info you may have on this dress. No tags, button front. The best news is, it fits me!

Thank you in advance!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

What a gorgeous print. Looks like a William Morris pattern, might be a Liberty print.

I would have to have it in hand to date...looks like it could fall anywhere from the late 40s to the 60s. I cannot really make out what the black fabric is, is it fully lined in it or is that just put in a certain area.

 

[Erin Wells]

Hello Mary Jane! Thank you for your reply! Having never heard of William Morris, I just looked it up and found that print! WOW! I will certainly follow that lead now to see what I can find out!

The black is behind where the button holes are. I just realized that the only reason that I see it is because the stitching came undone . It runs from the collar down to the hem and if the stitching hadn't opened , I would never know it was there. I hope that makes sense? So the black material is almost folded in between the fabric holding the button holes, and the actual dress.

The dress is not lined, but the cotton just feels amazing! It is almost like a thick sturdy cotton. I have a cotton dress from the 50's that feels so thin. It is a Hope Reed dress. This is very different.

Thank you again for the input! That gives me somewhere to start!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

You're welcome, Erin. So the black has been used to perhaps stiffen the area somewhat where the buttonholes are. It is a lovely day dress and I am sure you will enjoy wearing it, you are lucky it fits! Let us know if you find out more.

 

[Erin Wells]

Hi Mary Jane, yes that is exactly what I think it was used for. I spent most of the night researching this print and it is one of Liberty of London's most well known prints. I believe it was called Tana Lawn Lanthe. That was super exciting. Now, however, I cannot figure out when it was made. Btw, great read here on the VFG in the Label Resource on Liberty, so thank you for that!

I am just interested to know if it was a recent project ( as you can still find the fabric, I believe) or a true vintage piece! So now, I am trying to follow the style of the dress. The collar doesn't fold back , no shoulder pads, and no nipping ( unprofessional term, I am sure ) in at the waist.

The search continues! I will be sure to update you with my research! Thanks so much!

 

[Linn]

It's a great dress. I don't sew but I believe that the black material is an interlining. I think the dress could be relatively recent. There has been a lot of interest in William Morris lately - including an exhibit at the Met (in NYC) in 2016. I Googled Tana Lawn Lanthe and discovered it was first offered by Liberty in 1967 and as you discovered it is still available. It's a really nice dress and very wearable!

 

[GemGem]

Yes it's Ianthe Tana Lawn, a very popular William Morris print. Liberty even still sell this fabric though it was first sold I believe in the late 60's, because it just such a beautiful print. I have had a couple of pieces in this fabric before, always a pleasure to see them.

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/ia...html?dwvar_000523172_color=C&referrer=search#

The black fabric is interfacing. Used to stiffen/reinforce the fabric which would make sense around the button holes. It would be interesting to see if the interfacing is fusible (Iron on) or sewn in. I think fusible first became available in around 1965. Though sew in is still available even now.
I found this knowledgable article on the history of interfacing...

http://www.andreaschewedesign.com/blog/interfacings-part-1-the-history

The buttons are very interesting, wonder if anyone here is an expert on dating buttons? Of course the buttons could have been added later but would still be fun to find out more about them.

It is a gorgeous dress, hope you enjoy wearing your find.

 

[Erin Wells]

It's a great dress. I don't sew but I believe that the black material is an interlining. I think the dress could be relatively recent. There has been a lot of interest in William Morris lately - including an exhibit at the Met (in NYC) in 2016. I Googled Tana Lawn Lanthe and discovered it was first offered by Liberty in 1967 and as you discovered it is still available. It's a really nice dress and very wearable!

Excellent! Thank you so much! Even if it was a late 60s dress, I just love the style and even more, I love the history of the prints. The stories behind vintage is what draws me in anyway! So I am very pleased!

 

[Erin Wells]

Yes it's Ianthe Tana Lawn, a very popular William Morris print. Liberty even still sell this fabric though it was first sold I believe in the late 60's, because it just such a beautiful print. I have had a couple of pieces in this fabric before, always a pleasure to see them.

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/ia...html?dwvar_000523172_color=C&referrer=search#

The black fabric is interfacing. Used to stiffen/reinforce the fabric which would make sense around the button holes. It would be interesting to see if the interfacing is fusible (Iron on) or sewn in. I think fusible first became available in around 1965. Though sew in is still available even now.
I found this knowledgable article on the history of interfacing...

http://www.andreaschewedesign.com/blog/interfacings-part-1-the-history

The buttons are very interesting, wonder if anyone here is an expert on dating buttons? Of course the buttons could have been added later but would still be fun to find out more about them.

It is a gorgeous dress, hope you enjoy wearing your find.

WOW! Thank you for the reply and the info about the interfacing! After taking another look, I am pretty positive it is fusible ( iron on) as there is a small section in which I can peel it away from the fabric, rather than pulling up a stitch. So thank you, with that information and the input from Linn, that really helps! I agree it is a beautiful print and when seeing it on a thrift store rack with a ton of other modern dresses of poor quality, it certainly stands out!

Thank you! I will enjoy it!