Fabric identification and dress dating, please

Trish

Trish

Registered Guest
Hi Friends,
I'm hoping you can help me identify this fabric. I've looked through the Fabric Resource pages, but I either didn't recognize it or it wasn't listed. It looks like Ikat and Chambray but I couldn't find anything using those search terms. The threads are dyed, and there it a tiny bit of slubbing. The dress has so much starch in it I'm not sure what I'm really touching--it feels synthetic to me. The dress is home sewn--no labels. It opens in the front with snaps under the buttons and the opening follows the waistline to the side seam. There are belt loops, but no belt. I'm guessing this is a house dress. There is a single pocket on the left seam. The waist looks a bit high and the sleeves a bit long. The neckline reminds me of a kimono. What do you think?
Thanks in advance!
Trish

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Most likely everyone is as stumped as you are :)

It "looks" very much like chambray with some Ikat detailing - and you could describe it like that - but I don't know of any name for it.
Novelty weave? Sounds like it may have been treated, perhaps with starch or a chemical. If you would like to find out the fibre content,
take a loose thread or two and try a burn test. If it was treated, you may want to wash/rinse/dry the threads before burning:

http://vintagefashionguild.org/determining-fiber/

Good luck!
 
themerchantsofvintage said:
Most likely everyone is as stumped as you are :)
Click to expand...

yes! i know i am :)

It "looks" very much like chambray with some Ikat detailing - and you could describe it like that - but I don't know of any name for it.
Novelty weave? Sounds like it may have been treated, perhaps with starch or a chemical. If you would like to find out the fibre content,
take a loose thread or two and try a burn test. If it was treated, you may want to wash/rinse/dry the threads before burning:
Click to expand...

excellent advice from deborah. i would go with chambray with ikat detailing.
 
Thanks! I think I will wash the starch out of it and try a burn test. Hard to believe I stumped y'all!

bow down wave Off to make a donation!
 
It looks to me like a Ikat or Japanese textile - according the fabric resource the Japanese version is called "kasuri". I do get a Japanese feel about this but the dress has style elements from the late '40s to early '50s, perhaps a maternity dress. Housedresses tend to have visible pockets and have more openings for quick dressing/undressing.

If you can show us some photos of the construction it will help; how the seams and hem are sewn, what sort of buttons, does it have facings etc.
 
Thanks for the replies! Here are several photos of the construction. I agree it has a Japanese feel to it, and I looked up Kasuri and it seems to fit! I don't know if it is maternity--the front is about one inch longer in the back when I smooth it down with my hand, but I'll have to wait until I wash it and get the starch out of it get a better idea. Also, it does have the thread-type belt loops at either side. Would a maternity dress have a belt?
I really appreciate all of your help!
Trish

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