Help dating dress

Vintagiality

Vintagiality

VFG Treasurer
Hi all,

Looking for help dating this dress and also with the fabric. I know this is moire but is it rayon, cotton or something else? There are no tags and it looks home made to me. The lace collar is really throwing me off but I thought it may be late 60s. I don't think the belt is original to the dress but it came with it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Victoria
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Interesting dress Victoria - it combines style elements from a number of decades, which makes me suspect it's fairly modern.

Firstly - there doesn't seem to be any bust shaping so I wonder if it's for a child, not a woman?

Secondly - moire' is pattern, usually found on taffeta, you can read more about it in the VFG Fabric Resource. If we assume the dress is fairly modern it's likely to be either polyester or silk - a burn test will help. I generally "test" for polyester by feel, as synthetics are warm to the touch, and a silk will feel cool.

If you can show pics of the construction - hem, seams - it will help.

I can't see the buckle close up but a similar style was popular in the '60s but you can still buy them new.

I think it might be a flower girl or young bridesmaid dress for a wedding '85-95.
 
Yes, you're right about the construction being home made - I'm still seeing '80s though. Can you tell if the zipper is the original, or if it's a replacement?

As you're holding the dress you can pick up things we can't - what is it that is saying late '60s to you? I'm not seeing anything that indicates that date.

Your close up makes the fabric look like faille, not taffeta. Do think this is the case?
 
I agree with Nicole I think it was made in the 1980s when there was a fashion for these cute lace collars, puff sleeves and romantic style dresses. (think 80's/90's Laura Ashley) It does appear to have been made from materials of a variety of ages - the buckle looks 50's/60's, some of the lace could be much older, the moire pattern faille fabric could be from a few decades, and as Nicole suggests a burn test of the fibre would help determine what that is, and then when it was most likely woven.

I also think this could have been a nice costume or fancy dress outfit for something like Alice in Wonderland.

I found it interesting that they have chosen not to use the buckle prong through the lace belt - it suggests they didn't have time to fasten it properly, or the wearer was too young to want to fuss with it.
 
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