First Ossie Clark for Radley Celia Birtwell dress

Lily K.Chadwick

Lily K.Chadwick

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Hi, I recently managed to come by my first Celia Birtwell print Ossie Clark for Radley dress, via ebay(I'm still in shock to be honest) and though I adore it, I funds for travels and so have decided to sell it.

I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice as to which avenue I should go down in order to sell it ... ebay or an auction house? Also, if I were to list it myself, which key terms should I use when describing it?

Thanks in advance! :)
 

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Well done Lily! Lovely frock.

Have you searched online to see if you can find something similar? I haven't seen that style but I suspect it may have been altered, which will affect its value - eg, the sleeves have been top stitched, which is not how I'd expect them to be hemmed so they may have been puffed sleeves originally. Also the skirt length is unusual for his designs (generally these dresses were long) so it may have been shortened - can you tell by looking at the stitching in both these areas? The sleeve hems look similar to the stitching at the neckline but a good seamstress will match the colour.

Also - is there something going on with the centre back seam? There seems to be a flash of white. I wonder if there was a keyhole back or button opening that has been stitched up - not uncommon, I have a circa '72 Clark with this alteration, I'm currently restoring it to the original design.

What sort of opening does it have, apart from the drawstring bodice?

The value will depend on rarity, demand and how original it is. The beauty of an auction is that interest will determine the price. I can't suggest a place to sell it to get the best price, but I would investigate how authentic the design is before proceeding so you can provide this information to potential buyers.
 
Hi Nicole,
Thanks ever so much for your quick answer!

Having looked at the seams yesterday(though I'll have another check today), it appears to me that the sleeves' hemline as well as the skirt's one have identical stitching to that of the interior seams.
The hem may however have been folded up by about 1 or 2 inches, though the hand stitching there could be unpicked.

I believe the name of my print is Lazy Susan :) Though funnily enough, the only example I could find in this colourway, was an Allice Pollock blouse.
 
As for the back, there is indeed a sort of slit opening(unsure of the correct term), though I don't believe it has been sewn up :)
 
The opening in the back looks like a popped seam to me, it's in a peculiar place for an intended opening. I am forever finding the thread goes on 70's garments, sometimes I end up re-sewing most of the garment.

I would lower the hem that has been taken up if it has not been cut, as the photo of the back shows the hem is not currently level (the left side is higher, despite the model's shoulder being slightly dipped on the left). It was likely raised to suit the original wearer, and pinned while worn, so the hem level is likely to only to suit that particular person.

I agree it's unlike any Ossie Clark/Celia Birtwell or Radley I've seen, though I love the design and would wear that in a heartbeat. The print reminds me of Morning Glory (a climbing plant we have on our garden fence)

In terms of pricing it's important to remember that this is a Radley dress, not an Ossie Clark dress, and compare sold prices appropriately as that is vast difference in terms of price between the two, and take into account things like size, which can have in impact on the prices reached. A 70's 36 must be at least an XS.

In terms of keywords, I would say it has flutter sleeves, a gathered empire line top falling into an A line skirt.
 
Firstly, I'm so sorry about the late response!

Secondly, thanks ever so much for your help Pinkcoke!

Having taken the dress to a costume/fashion museum in Lisbon, the consensus was that the dress hasn't been altered in any way other than the pinning of the hem(which in itself hasn't been cut, but rather folded up slightly) ... I was *slightly* relieved to hear this, as you can imagine :)
 
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