I need advise on this dress from experts on the 1930s!!!

NByers

NByers

Registered Guest
Hello everyone,
I came across this 1930s dress and it is amazing! unfortunately though...it originally had a belt...I would like to remake the belt if anyone can tell me what they think the belt may have looked like??? Please help!
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Lovely dress - the belt would have originally been made of the same fabric, perhaps with a small red bakelite buckle to match the buttons. Sometimes if there is enough fabric in the hem, or if you wanted to shorten it (which I don't recommend for this dress, it's lovely as it is), you can cut a few inches off and make that into a new belt.

Another option is to use a ribbon and find a red buckle to attach.
 
I would start by looking for a red celluloid buckle from the 1930s - the width of that buckle will determine the width of the belt. It would be just a pull through belt - no latchet and hole, so its just a strip of fabric for the belt - you could put a snap on the end to keep the tail from flopping. The grosgrain ribbon idea is a good one, but as the collar appears to be plain organdy, you could buy some organdy and make a plain white belt from that. Please don't cannibalize the hem for fabric -- these full length garden party type day dresses are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
 
Sorry, Jonathan - please don't think that I generally recommend shortening dresses. Far from it! Sometimes there is hem there, without shortening the length - or there is damage. I once had to remove four inches from a '30s dress because it was riddled with moth holes but the length was sufficient to make a new belt for it.
 
I realize you weren't recommending it for this dress Nicole, I just wanted to underscore that! Okay, I admit it, I did just that to a similar dress thirty years ago, when I was a young collector, and although it solved the missing belt problem, I have been living with the guilt ever since. I can't even look an organdy frock in the buttons anymore!
 
Thanks Jonathan: I've done that one too. I can't even think of all the terrible things I used to do to vintage before I respected it as much as I do now, but I guess that's how we all learn.

During the '80s I had hundreds of cotton floral print dresses, most of which I rehemmed to a shorter length.

I shudder to remember a stunning WW2 skirt suit I had in red and black. It was a size 14 and I cut the whole thing down to fit my size 6 (US 2) frame. Despite my costuming skills, the jacket never did sit well and eventually I disposed of it. Now, I'd kill to have that suit but I didn't care about the size 14 ladies I was depriving, only that it was mine, that I loved it and it needed to fit.

I try to redeem myself through my daily restoration work and try to dissuade customers from making huge alterations to vintage garments, that would destroy the original design.
 
It's so good to hear other people have made the same mistakes I still regret!

Back to the belt - I agree - find the buckle first! That will determine the width you need in fabric or ribbon.
 
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