Need help dating early pink dress with flowers!

[Melissa Lynn]

I am very new to vintage clothing and I am having trouble dating this one dress. Also I don't really know what the material is. Taffeta maybe? No clue how marketable it is or if it is special but I love it. Any feedback will be so appreciated!

 

[Jonathan]

It's mid 50s and made of rayon taffeta with nylon tulle/netting crinoline and sheer nylon chiffon on the bodice.

 

[Melissa Lynn]

Thanks so much! Makes so much more sense now looking at it.

 

[Pinkcoke]

Add a crook and a bonnet and you've got Little Bo Peep! Is it possible the fushia rosebud centers were added later? The ribbon doesn't look period to me.

 

[Melissa Lynn]

Totally Little Bo Peep! Now if only there was a market for someone wanting to be Little Bo Peep. I'm thinking it'd be a cool prom gown but who knows. I had the same reaction as you thinking the rosebud ribbon was newer but I really don't know. If anyone has input on it, that would be awesome.

 

[Delaney52]

This is gorgeous, that construction is amazing! It's definitely 50s, but I think the darker pink ribbon is probably not original. The outer parts of the rosettes match the dress very well which leads me to believe they are original to the dress, but the inner parts look like grosgrain ribbon which doesn't seem to me like a material that would have been used to accent a dress of this quality. I would assume one of its owners (there could have been many) added the ribbon at some point to alter the style a bit. I'm not sure if it is special as in collectible, though it may have been tailor-made and thus one of a kind, but it's definitely marketable (I would definitely wear it ) It is clearly very well made, too, so that certainly makes it special!

 

[Melissa Lynn]

Thank you! I loved the dress so much when I got it, especially liked that the boning g corset was intact and I'm glad to hear someone else would appreciate it and wear it too! I think you two are right that the ribbon is not original. Maybe it was worn on stage or something and they added it to stand out a bit more. Thanks for all of the input!

 

[Pinkcoke]

Adding that spot of colour is also something you might do to make it tie in with a differently coloured accessory you wanted to wear with it - maybe they had fushia shoes or a shawl.

 

[Melissa Lynn]

So true Melanie, I didn't even think of that. I photographed the dress yesterday and realized that the rosebuds and centers of the buds are sewed on with the same thread so maybe the bright pink ribbon is original after all? The material looks more 60s to my eye but I don't know.