Hi, I have this long weird dress in France and I cannot date it and even understand if it was supposed to be classy or not. I don't know if this is the kind of dress women wore at home. I don't know if it is homemade or not (maybe there was a label, you'll see on one of the pics). The zip is very long but doesn't go to the end of the dress (it stops around the knees, I'd say a little under but I'm small). With the collar a little more open: The inside, the part that can stretch to mark the waistline, we can see the elastics: and the outside: The part under the armpit, I don't know if the white part is original given that the seams are different from the rest of the dress: Some seams: The collar: The part back of the neck, where you can see two small holes, I don't know if there was a label or not (or maybe simply a label with the name of the previous owner): And some random pics to try and show you the fabric because I cannot name it. It is rather thick and the colour is a little different as the light reflects on it (you'll better see on the last picture with the flash, the colour is not the real one but you can see the effect with the light): Thank you very much for you help!
I think this attractive garment is a hostess gown, worn at home for casual entertaining. There was a time period in the 1930's and early preWWII 1940's when zippers were exposed as a decorative element. Could the fabric be rayon taffeta? A burn test would help you identify it. The white underarm pieces may be underarm perspiration guards. Could they be removed to launder separately? Marian