This piece is one straight piece of lace, with snap fasteners up the left side, starting under the armhole. I'm trying to understand how it was worn, and its age. Would it be worn over a slip, or over some other garment? Thank you for any help!
A lace overlay dress which would have come with a matching spaghetti strap slip with it Janine! Those snaps are reminiscent of 1930s/40s.
I agree that it's probably 1930s but I am wondering what the blue satin fabric thingie is on the front? I think it would have had a plain colored slip worn underneath. These are examples of sheer 1930s dresses shown with the slip that was worn under it. They are from the Historic Costume collection at the University of Hawaii. Some of the slips had adjustable straps - and some spaghetti straps. ( I took the photos when I did some work there about ten years ago.) Here's another one:
The blue bow looks like an afterthought. It is sewn on, yet it has a snap on the back of it (you can see the snap through the lace) that doesn't snap on to anything! The snap does not go through the lace, so it's a bit strange. Unless somebody merely liked the blue bow and couldn't risk removing the snap. Thank you, ALL. And, Linn, those two dresses are beautiful.
I am not seeing 30s with this, I keep coming back to it and looking at it again. I am seeing more of an early 60s sheath dress which would have had a slip either in a beige or blue. I know we did not often see snaps but it looks more of a home made dress and so perhaps they felt it would be easier to do snaps than put in a zipper. Even the lace looks more of a later type of lace to me as do the capped sleeves, neckline and rather straight cut.
I was thinking newer also and a home sewn project also. The snaps just dont look as they should for the 1930s. But, these pieces are always such a puzzle and without actually seeing it, I cant say for sure
Thank you all. I do think it is probably more of a '60s product. The lace is simply too undamaged and not fragile-looking at all. You've helped me immensely.
I have been going back and forth on this... the concept reminds me of those 30s-40s dresses, but I agree the style looks more like something 60s. With a delicate fabric like this, it was probably easier - and shows less - to put in small snaps instead of a zipper.
Not quite this, but I had a bit of a look around on the vintage pattern wiki and here's an idea: https://vintagepatterns.fandom.com/wiki/McCall's_8786 There's a few 1966-67 patterns with similar spaghetti strap sheath dresses with sheer over dresses, though the sheer dress mostly is flared and has long sleeves.
