help dating Renee Marciel dress and a question re: the bow and fabric

laurenm

laurenm

Registered Guest
Hi Everyone,
I am wondering if this dress is
1, from the 50's?
2, raw silk?
3, how you would describe the 'tassles' (looped?)
4, whether the bow should be resewn before listing?

Thanks very much,
Lauren
 

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Renee Marciel made some fabulous dresses! What a beautiful one you found. It looks 50's, but short. Was it re-hemmed? Looks like a silk dupioni fabric, but not sure. Cartoon size bow with looped fringe sash. I like to resolve as many issues with a listing as I can. How well do you sew?
 
I agree with Alice that it's been altered - and even allowing for the hem, it's probably been shortened. I think it's from the late '50s to early '60s and would call that fabric Shantung (which is called Dupioni in some places). Usually Shantung is silk but the close up looks more like rayon to me: perhaps try a burn test.

Raw silk is of a rougher texture, with small pieces of darker silk in a cream coloured base. You might be thinking of "Thai silk" which is Shantung/Dupioni.

If the dress needs a minor repair, it's usually advisable to do it as many buyers are put off by repairs. If the dress has been shortened, it's likely that the bow has been retied so that it's the correct length for the hem.
 
hmmm...with those extended sleeve caps, the wrap front styling, the simple sheath back, and that label, my inclination is more towards 1980s than 1950s or 60s ~ also, that enormous bow ~ after Diana's wedding, huge bows were everywhere on everything, seemed like ~ in conjunction with that label ~ it all says later than earlier, to me...
 
Renée Marciel is not in our LR. I did a quick a search and found some information about this designer from one of our VFG Trade Members, Jody, at Couture Allure.

Renee Marciel was a Miami based designer who was born in France. She had a wonderful sense of style and designed and wore what she liked, not what fashion dictated. Her pieces are exceedingly rare and highly collectible today. The photo shown is a 1950s polka dot silk dress worn by the designer herself. This vintage 1950s dress was originally sold by Saks Fifth Avenue and is one of the most superb I've ever offered.
Click to expand...

The dress from Couture Allure sold. If you search for Renee Marciel the link to that dress, and many other fabulous images of Renée Marciel dresses come up. Lauren, your dress looks longer in the side view. I agree the front view looks too short for a '50's dress. Can you tell if it has been shortened?

Linn
 
Thanks to all for the info and advice. I do believe it was shortened now that you mentioned that and the hem is several inches shortened with a basting stitch(?) and that certainly does explain why the bow stitching is so 'obvious' than the rest of the beautifully finished seams of the garment...and the hemming doesn't look that even which would explain the length disparity bw back and front.
 
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