Help dating a voile dress.

Better Dresses Vintage

Better Dresses Vintage

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Hi -- This dress is so pretty in real life, so incredibly soft and feminine and lovely, I can hardly stand to part with it. But you can't keep everything, right? So please help me figure out when it's from so I can list it properly. It's a bit beat up when you examine it closely. But at a reasonable distance, just fine. No major flaws.

00329-028fullVert.JPG00329-028closeDark.JPG00329-028collar.JPG00329-028modesty panel.JPG00329-028waistdetail.JPG00329-028sheerDetail.JPG00329-028withButterfly.JPG

1. Appears to be homesewn (with care), but perhaps not.
2. Very sheer, very soft cotton voile with a slightly linen-y feel/texture
3. Perwinkle blue w/ pink diamond medallion print
4. micro pleats/vert ruching at waistline
5. kimono-cut sleeves
6. front snap at interesting bodice treatment (like a small modesty panel)
7. originally had self-fabric neck ties, but they were completely shredded and I snipped them. Added a butterfly brooch in some photos to show how it would look with the tie tied.
8. hand-crocheted, hand-attached collar (does not go completely around)
9. metal "KLOZO" side zip
10. hem is completely fallen, but the edge of what's there has a seam (i.e. it wasn't quite this long)
11. thread belt loops -- no belt

Any ideas? Came from a place where, so far, items have been authenticated from 1910s through 60s.

Thanks for help! - Liza
 
Is the waist elasticated or stretchable? I'm wondering if it is a maternity garment, it has some similarities to the garments in my 'Primrose' magazines from 1950/51 which included maternity wear with little panels like this, sometimes buttoned, gathered waist dresses done up with belts. It's not similar enough to say it the same period I think, I didn't see any dresses from those magazines with lace collars and a closed neck like that which makes me wonder if it is more 40's.
 
Hi Pinkcoke - No, there is no elastic. Also, the waist is in the wrong place to be maternity wear (i.e. at the natural waist, which disappears pretty quickly when pregnant). Maternity stuff I've seen is mostly empire style, or a shift with more room at front. You can often tell a maternity dress by holding it up and you'll see that the front hangs considerably lower than the back. I could see how this dress might be useful if you're nursing (though it offers no modesty), given the front access (but then, so does any shirtwaist). I lived in nursing clothes exclusively for nearly 6 years -- dresses, blouses, tops of all sorts, mostly bought on line from shops in Singapore and Malaysia, where the nursing clothes are far more stylish (and cut for women slimmer than the typical American) and not the dowdy t-shirts or overpriced trendy stuff we have over here that screams "hey, look at me, I'm breastfeeding and this is a nursing shirt!"
 
Hi ladies. My friend (an avid seamstress and vintage lover) placed it as late 30s/early 40s, based on her own mother's clothes. She said her mom had several similar-cut dresses with lace collars right at that time. Regardless of era, it was my record-breaking fastest sale. Up at 9 pm, sold at 9:30 pm, to a repeat buyer. I'm a little sad to see it go. I really loved it. Had I tried it on, it may have never been listed at all! And I made almost nothing on it, as I overpaid by a lot. Still, happy to see it find a new home with a sweet buyer who will appreciate it : )
 
maybe the speed at which it sold suggests the buyer thought it was still worth more! Glad you had success though. It was lovely.
 
Yep, you're probably right. It probably was worth more. But I am still new enough to feel weird about asking too much, y'know? Plus, more important, I want my stuff to be affordable, so that if I wanted it, I could buy it without feeling "taken" or guilty. It's my own fault for paying too much in the first place. This particular lot cost me a fortune. I think I was a bit overwhelmed and eager to just get it and get out (I'd had a TERRIBLE experience with the wardrobe mistress who'd invited me to buy in the first place, and when the theater director said, "Ignore her, she's nuts, come down and buy the stuff," I just jumped and handed over the cash and got out as fast as I could, before I ran into loony-lady). I doubt I'll ever recoup the cost. But so far, people are pleased with the items, so I'm building a good reputation, which certainly has its own value! : ) I don't regret the purchase. Live and learn.
 
Oh dear! I've been to a similar theatre wardrobe but I haven't been to buy anything yet. Wonder if I should... :S
 
Definitely go! I highly doubt you will have the same experience. The woman in question was certifiable. I never mentioned anything about my sell price. I barely spoke. I may have mentioned that I'd have to pay a significant amount (actually, it turned out to be $200+) to have everything cleaned, repaired, etc. But she went on this seriously weird rant about, "I'm not selling you dresses for $20 each so you can turn around and sell them for $80." I was thinking, "Why the heck not? What good are they doing you now? And didn't you say they were all donated to begin with?" But I said nothing.

Meanwhile, she didn't need them, the theater needed money, and I wanted the dresses. Honestly, and this sounds bad but I believe it to be the truth -- I think she hated me because I could fit into some of the clothes she loved, while she could not. She actually said, "I love this dress, but who could ever fit into it?" My major mistake was saying, "Me." Meanwhile, joke's on her, as the CEO of the theater was polite, kind, and happy to sell me whatever I wanted, including a splendiferous wedding gown that crazy lady had adamantly forbidden. He actually said, "She can be quite difficult." My mistake was not bartering more to get the price down. But after my earlier experience, I was REALLY freaked out and nervous. She was very very mean. Truly nasty.
 
poor you! I'm actually on fairly good terms with the wardrobe mistress here, but she's still slightly batty (and has completely the wrong idea of what era some clothes are) but thankfully all she does is look after the things and keep the wardrobe in some sort of order. But it's bursting at the seams and there are some *wonderful* clothes in there that will never see the light of day again because that sort of production isn't performed any more or they keep getting adapted and therefore de-valued. I particularly remember getting a peek of the men's wardrobe and the wall of antique hats in their original boxes...*sigh* as part of an opera group we are most likely the only company that would use that many old hats and even then not all at the same time!
 
"I'm not selling you dresses for $20 each so you can turn around and sell them for $80."
Click to expand...

I hate that attitude, and it's not uncommon when buying, though you seem to have had a particularly bad case. What do they think we do, buy them for $20 and sell them for $20? If ever I get that I usually point out politely that they are free to have a go at selling direct to the public themselves.

I'm sure you are right about why she didn't like you.
 
Yes, Ruth. That's what I say when dealing with a seller who sends me photos and says s/he wants $100 for a dress. I gently suggest eBay or CraigsList, and even offer to help them list it. When they get an idea of the work involved, either the light comes on and they bow out gratefully, or they lower their price. Sometimes, I sense that the high price is sentimental, in which case (this just happened last week, in fact), I ask if it fits, and if they say "yes," I say, "Keep it, wear it, love it. You can always sell it later."
 
And FYI, at that theater I got the Mike Benet 50s wedding dress, the 1916 Franklin & Simon black silk dress, and the wild convertible palazzo pants jumpsuit thingy named after a shipwreck. So it was quite the fun experience, even if I lose money!
 
I think it's not all that unusual. Several colleagues have mentioned getting major hauls from local theaters.

Sometimes the wardrobe department gets overstocked and needs weeding out. Other times they change direction and no longer need a particular type of costume (e.g. one theater I contacted had already decided to wear jeans and t-shirts (!?) and had got rid of all their costumes. My guess is that most often, they just need money ; ).

When I showed up at this particular theater, they had just been given the entire wardrobe from another, recently defunct neighboring theater. I wasn't allowed near that stuff (why, I don't know, but I was already so spooked by the lunatic lady, I wasn't about to argue), but I could see that some of it was stellar. There was 1800s stuff. Not what I sell or care about in particular, but I'd love to have an 1880s dress of my own -- to play with, for lack of a better explanation. My favorite clothing decade.
 
Interesting! Doesn't sound like the last place you'd expect to find a lunatic lady ; ). This is all so good to know!
Thanks!
 
When you buy stock, you get all kinds of experiences: some like this, many that are wonderful. Buying is the best part of having a vintage clothing business but it's also the trickiest as you have to buy at a reasonable price so you can sell at one too. It's like swings and roundabouts: what you lose on one, you'll hopefully win on another.

As LizaJane said, theatres can be a great source of good vintage clothing. Keep in mind though that they frequently adapt fashions to their production needs so authenticity is sometimes missing. It's amazing how resourceful they can be - as well, it may not be vintage, just a convincing costume made to duplicate the style of an era.
 
I have been planning a blog post on some of the more interesting, and moving, buying experiences I've already had, even after less than a year in the business. Sometimes the things you find bring tears to your eyes (e.g. a box containing a woman's perfect attendance records, one for each month, all signed by her 1st grade teacher, in the early 1920s -- I gave it to the son and said "Put these somewhere safe." He was grateful, as he had no idea they were even in her closet! -- and THEN, after helping me load our car full of some really excellent stuff, he took me and my young daughter across his pasture to visit and pet his donkeys! Talk about a bonus, haha).
 
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