Is this a 1930s peignoir set? help with some issue please

First was wondering if this peignoir set was from the 1930s? It appears to be of a heavy peach silk with bell sleeves on the robe and gathered at the shoulder.

The gown is near perfection. The bell sleeved robe (sans belt) is lovely also, but has some issue which I have submitted images. There is one place in back with several holes and also some marks or stains.

2nd question: How would you sell this set? As is? Try to remove the stains, if so how? Try to repair tears? again how?

Sorry about the dark photos. I lost my photo light just before shooting.
Thank you all for your sharing your thoughts and insights.
Happy Holidays, Alice

 

Beautiful set - on the available information I agree it could be '30s or into the '40s - I would probably date as late '30s to early '40s.

Re: the holes, if they're in the full skirt you could stitch a seam in, to remove them or remove a panel and do the same thing. If they're some where that there isn't much loose fabric they'll be harder. The stains look like "rust" - oxidisation. You could try hand washing and see if you can improve but getting these marks out of silk is usually pretty hard. The fabric looks like silk charmeuse.

 

Thanks Nicole, that's a great idea! Something to follow-up with my seamstress the first part of the year. The gown is in such great condition, it's a shame not to have the robe equally wearable. Maybe a seam could be added where the worst of the staining is.

 

thanks Linn, this gives me another perspective to consider. Would a light solution of Oxyclean change the color or strength of the silk? Also forgot to mention that the skirt of the robe has a bias cut.

 

I recommend that you check the Oxyclean packet to see if you can use it on silk - the one we get here in Aus can not be used on silk. I tried once, and the colours ran, the silk lost it's nice silky texture and the frock shrunk.

 

Ouch! that was a bummer.... thanks for calling that to my attention.

 

I agree on the late 30s to early 40s dating. And it's a lovely set!

I have a very large lot of silk lingerie from that timeframe, and have successfully washed (and mended as needed) several pieces so far. First, I wouldn't wash it until I repaired the holes, as they'll probably get worse. They don't look very large in the photo, and if you pressed the area out lightly, it looks like you could "gain" more fabric (since it would be flat out and not curled up at the edges.I recently had a slip that needed restoration, and it had both small holes and some dark stains. I lightly treated the edges of the holes with Fray Check, as Linn mentions. I always dab it on with the end of a toothpick, rather than using the bottle applicator, so it won't "gob." It gives a more stable base from which to mend. Then, with this particular slip, I used a very fine-filament invisible nylon thread and mended the holes. I find the problem with lingerie is it's hard to get a thin enough thread to make the mend as non-obtrusive as possible. And the thread is usually not as lustrous as the lingerie silk, so you can see the difference. The invisible thread takes care of that problem.... Anyway, it obviously can't be mended so that the repair is not noticeable; if you're missing fabric in the holes, you'll get a little "wrinkle" or "scar." But if the holes are small and the folds of the piece make it so that the mends aren't glaring, I should think a buyer could live with that. The folks who bought my slip were delighted with it!

I would try treating those stains before washing it with a solution of woolite and hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide seems to do a better job of lightening dark stains than almost anything else I've tried. Dab it on with a Q-tip, let it sit for just a few minutes, then hand wash the piece, being sure to use some hair conditioner in the rinse water to keep the fabric soft and prevent shrinkage. As Nicole says, do NOT try oxy-clean! IMO, it's not necessary to totally remove these stains; lightening them up is usually enough for a buyer who is used to buying/wearing vintage lingerie. It's too easy to damage the silk by trying "too hard" to remove the stains....

 

OH boy.... I thought I would never ever suggest this.... but.... I don't think its worth the trouble and in the end I seriously doubt you will be able to completely remove the stains, and the repair will be obvious. I would cut the robe into a bed jacket - there I said it! I am usually the last person to suggest altering something, but I really don't think you will be happy with the results - go ahead and try washing it and see if you can get the stains out, but if they don't come out, I'd chop it - disclose that you did cut the robe but because the body has damage the best thing to do was to shorten it - considerably.

 

Linn, I've successfully used the Oxyclean on those knitted '20s silk opera scarves - but I'd worry about using it on more delicate materials. Sometimes you've got nothing to lose and it's worth the risk.

Your bed jacket is beautiful!

 

Yes, Linn, your bed jacket is lovely! You must have diluted the Oxyclean enough so that it wasn't too harsh. I would worry about using it, myself, but if the fabric is sturdy and it's diluted enough.... I'm always a concerned about "compatibility" of cleaning compounds that weren't around when the items were made--but it certainly worked in your case!

 

Just wanted to share the final results of this thread. After following through with washings, I took Jonathan's advice and had the robe professionally shortened to a bed jacket, using the extra lace from the robe to trim the hem of the bed jacket. Now it's a very wearable set.
Thank you everyone for your help!

 

Beautiful! Great save!

 

Wow, the set turned out fabulous!

 

Wow, that looks fantastic!

 

That's stunning, Alice!

Definitely! Jonathan was right--a much better solution than trying to mend or hide the pre-existing damage! Even though in our minds we know that cutting off a damaged portion of a garment in order to save it can be the best solution, sometimes our "hearts" get in the way of recognizing that.... I have two gowns sitting in my inventory doing nothing because they have rips in the lower half of the skirts--I'm sure they would look just fine cut off and hemmed, but I haven't quite been able to do the deed yet--but after seeing your fabulous results, I'm definitely going to pursue that....

Thanks for showing us the "after" photos!

 

It looks great!