Help with the fabric in this dress, please!

BonniesVintageClothesLine

BonniesVintageClothesLine

VFG Member
I haven't done a burn test yet on this material yet as I thought the fabric was probably a cotton broadcloth. But the dark back on the material which seems to be part of the weave of the material and nothing applied or attached as a backing has got me a little puzzled. I have not had this type of material before. The outer material has a tiny bit of crispness giving it a little body and the back of the material feels a bit silky. Any thoughts and help would be greatly appreciated. I purchased this Parklane Juniors dress in a lot that mostly was 40s and 50s garments. I have another Parklane Juniors dress that I believe is cotton material. Neither this red dress or the other dress had any moth damage so I'm thinking there isn't any wool in them. I purchase 5 suits and they are wool and have a few small moth holes.

50sparklanedress01.jpg


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Maybe you material can be seen in this photo a little closer......
 
This seems like a compound fabric. Is the back, the black side, a knit, or a woven?
 
Bonnie, from the label photo, the outer surface looks like it might be twilled. It would be great if you have any close ups just of the inside and the outside of the fabric. In an inseam, can the back of the fabric be separated from the front?
 
This dress is from the early 50s, I believe. It has a "New Look" style to me. The red fabric is a smooth fabric and has a slight sheen. I was thinking it could be a blend. I've just got to figure out what kind of blend it is to describe the fabric. I'm going to try to do a burn test tomorrow. That might help to determine what it might be. Thanks to all for your thoughts.
 
Bonnie - I love your dress. I've been looking at it since you posted it. The photo of the front of the dress in the first post - and the way it seems to have a little bit of a sheen, and the way it hangs makes me "think" it "could" be cotton sateen. I wonder if the backing was bonded to the front fabric? That said - I just looked at a Suzy Perette dress that I bought years ago that has the same type of lining - thought it was cotton but am now not sure. It doesn't have the hand that cotton has - and doesn't "smell" like cotton, either, so maybe it's rayon. Of course it's been hanging in a closet in a humid climate for a really long time... Too bad fabric content wasn't required back then!!! I'll be interested in the results of your burn test.

I don't have a photo of the lining but I do have this picture:

Suzy%20Perette%20Plaid%20Dress%20Details.jpg
 
Wow, Linn.....the lines of your dress and the material are so similar. I was thinking possibly cotton sateen, too, but wasn't sure. So today when I get back from our vet appointment, I will burn some material and see what I find out and will report back later. I have another dress that was owned by the same lady and the lines are the same and the label is the same. I was thinking that dress was cotton.....no backing, but an attached crinoline under the skirt instead. I'll post a photo of that dress later. And, btw, I love that Suzy Perette dress, Linn. It's wonderful. Plaids are my favorites.
 
I don't have any catalogs from the 50s....sure wish I did as that would be a great resource. But, I did the burn test on the material and I'm even more convinced now that the material is a blend. It didn't burn altogether like a synthetic. I burned one piece on the red side and one piece on the black side to see if there was a little difference in the way the material burned. And, there was a little difference in that the black side did seem a bit more like a synthetic. And the red side burned a little more like cotton. On the red side burned and charred and had a blacker ash. On the black side, grayer ash and burned and charred. The material flamed and there was no bead that formed. And, I could really see that the black material was an actual part of the weave when I cut a little piece an inner seam. Might be a cotton/rayon blend.
 
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My dress (shown above) has an attached crinoline. It's lined from the waist up. The lining is sewn in but it is not part of the plaid fabric. I think your lining might be bonded to the fabric rather than a woven part of it. I'm not an experienced burn tester but I believe that gray ash indicates cotton and a blacker ash indicates a synthetic. It's more likely that the dress is cotton and the lining is rayon - unless the dress is a rayon cotton blend. Whatever it is it's lovely!

I don't have any large Sear's '50s catalogues. I have the Everyday Fashions series and this exact dress is not in it. Actually nothing was that similar. In many instances the descriptions have not been included which is not helpful!
 
Silk, wool, acetate and triacetate have a black brittle or crushable bead; nylon, polyester, and other synthetics shrink from the flame and melt.
 
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