glittery herringbone fabric of silver gold & copper thread

*~Eli!

*~Eli!

Registered Guest
I get really stressed out when I get hung up on a fabric like this one... please help.
It isn't stretchy at all, it feels like silk, dress is from the 50s or 60s. (the entire batch was 40s to early 60s)

Close up front
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back
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dress itself for reference
 
Hi Brenda and thanks,

Yeah I looked there, I don't see anything like it really... or anywhere for that matter.

I have searched for hours. I'm just going to say metallic and be done with it.

But thank you so much. Any help or encouragement I can get I'll take *smile*
 
I would call it Lamé

A general term for a metallic effect...Lamé threads may be used in any type of fabric, woven or knit. It is often light and can be used for anything from a sweater to evening wear
Click to expand...

Of course if you can do a burn test to determine the fiber, that would be good.
 
I haven't done a burn test in a long time, but I did a burn test and I think it is a wool blend, very light weight though, never had a wool item this light weight & sheer. But it makes sense about the 2 tiny spots that look like moth holes now.

Golden wool lame' shift dress should raise a couple of eye brows *smile*
 
I do not think it is Lurex Mary Jane and Thank you Mary... I think it is a great dress too. I need to stop obsessing over things that get me stuck and just post stuff the best I can.

Thanks everyone!
 
Hi,

It very much resembles a mid 1960s shell (sleeveless topper) that I had, and mine was made of a fine silk knit and lurex thread fabric. Yours looks much like several silk knit items I have, and the threads look like Lurex to me. Just my 2 cents!
 
I'm not sure if these examples will help but I actually have this outfit on now, that has a label which contains some lurex content.

I have also had dresses which had a lot more lurex content in them than this outfit does.

Here is the link for you to see.

Pink Lurex & Wool

This one does not have a label but I have had similar items that were marked in the past.

Silver Lurex Dress
 
Mary Jane, that is just gorgeous! Wow! It looks stretchy, which this dress is not. I only took a long thread out for the burn test, since there is not a lot of extra material, but I likely can cut a small square to make sure it still acts like wool. (little beady end that crushes in your fingers). Maybe it is Lurex and wool or Lurex and silk.

I had a dress that was Lurex and I looked online and it did not seem quite right, but after seeing that dress and hearing your thoughts... perhaps it is Lurex.

After so many hours obsessing about this dress I'll need to post it for $500.00 to make any profit :P

Thanks so much everyone, I do not know if you realize how very helpful you are to me. I only started collecting things specifically vintage a year ago and I feel my knowledge has gotten really strong in some areas, but I have a long way to go.

*~Eli
 
Such a great little cocktail dress! And I'm with the Lurex crowd--this appears to be a fabric with Lurex shot through it, rather than an allover lame'. Lurex isn't usually referred to as a yard good, as is lame', but a yarn or thread used in woven or knitted fabrics for a metallic effect. (Lurex is used pretty generically these days, like Kleenex, but is a brand of metallic yarn/thread). Some metallic fabrics have more Lurex in them, some less, lending varying degrees of metallic-ness (if that's even a word!). I've never used the terms "lame" and "Lurex" interchangeably (that's what I was taught in sewing class and when I sold fabric in a Singer store--that they're not). But from the photos I can't tell for sure if all the fibers in your dress are metallic or just some. If they all are, I'd call it a lame'; otherwise wool (or whatever it is) shot with Lurex is a more apt description.
 
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