Help with dating and rescuing wedding dress from (?) 1940s

[laurenm]

Hi All,
First of all, sorry for the photos, I can't get the dress on my form and it is so filmy that it all folds up on a hanger.
1. I'm not really sure how to date this.
The slip has a side snap.

2. There are several spots of what I am assuming is rust that have eaten through the hem, but it is fairly long so I think it could be shortened. The material is 'eroded'/worn mostly in the sleeves and their is one spot on the bodice area where the rust has transferred a stain. There is also darkened staining on the cloth buttons from the metal of the buttons I'm thinking...It's just such a beautiful dress, i would llike to 'save it' somewhow. So wondering about dying it and seeking advice as to what colour would, if any, would blend the main stain in. I thought I could take the sleeves off.
Any thoughts or is this a lost cause?

Thanks alot,
Lauren

 

[retro ruth]

It isn't really possible to cover a stain with dye, just as you can't cover a pattern with dye. You can make it less noticeable, but it'll still be there. Even if you dye it rust coloured, which would be the most effective, you'll still have darker spots where the rust stains are.

I believe you can get stain removers for rust, but I've never used them myself. You would probably have to replace the buttons - and that's a lot of buttons. But if you were shortening it, you could use some of the fabric you take up to make new covered buttons.

 

[Linn]

Could we see a close-up of the inside view of the shoulder pads, please? I'm getting a late 1930's feeling from this. I am not well versed on working with dye, but I'm sure Ruth is correct that it's really hard to cover a stain.

Linn

 

[retro ruth]

The most you can do is reduce the contrast between the colour of the stain and the fabric so it's less noticeable. The stain takes the dye as well, so it ends up darker than the surrounding fabric.

 

[Tabbyannabel]

Wow, that is stunning even in it's sad state. I know there is a home remedy of salt and lemon juice to get rid of rust stains (pour salt on the stain then sprinkle lemon juice, then leave in the sun to dry). Not sure if it would work on your material and of course I would test a small patch first.

 

[laurenm]

I'll try the home remedy Tabby. Although I'm starting to think the front stain and buttons isn't rust after all as I don't see any rust on the metal part of the buttons. The bottom part is definitely rust.
Would any colour be more likely to 'reduce the contrast' as Ruth notes?
Here are some shots of the shoulder pads Linn.I think they are the same fabric as the slip.

 

[Tabbyannabel]

Have you tried hand washing in an oxi clean type solution?

 

[laurenm]

Yes, I soaked it initially in woolite and oxyclean and it took out a fair amount of the stain. The fabric is really delicate and I've been afraid to do anything else until I asked for some advice.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

I agree with Ruth in that any dye will just reduce the way it stands out, but not cover it. It will also damage the fabric further as it's quite delicate.

Your success at removing the stain (rust? oxidisation?) will depend on what the fabric is made of and how robust it is. If it's silk, they probably won't come out regardless. If you try the lemon, salt and sun, expect the fabric to deteriorate (testing would be a good idea, on a stain near the hem). If it's rayon, I've had success in removing stains like this using a oxi clean product in warm water and repeated gentle soakings and washings. If you go down this path, I recommend that you remove all the buttons and wash them separately as they will probably rust.

But: from the close up this fabric seems to be quite fragile with many small holes. It will be a lot of effort to restore this dress. If you really love it, you could it remove the sleeves and shorten the hem and replace the buttons (using the fabric as Ruth suggests) but it will still be a flawed beauty.

I date it as approximately 1939.

 

[laurenm]

thanks everyone, sounds like it may be not worth the time at this point, though I hate to give up on it.
I'm not sure what the fabric is, it's sort of crepe like, so delicate.
Lastly, for future reference, what would you term that sort of diamond shaped bodice...I love that design.

 

[Linn]

Lauren,

Thank you for the close-ups of the shoulder pads. They confirm a late 1930's date. I suppose if you really want to try to restore it, you could do a burn test to determine the fiber, and then you'd have a better idea if washing it would be an option. In the close-up of the shoulder pads it looks like it chiffon - or maybe georgette - but it's hard to tell what the fibre is.

Linn