Pia & Paula maxi dress - your thoughts on dating?

Midge

Midge

Super Moderator
Staff member
My second great find of today... this gorgeous maxi dress by Pia & Paula of Finland, which has me confused on the dating though:

piajapaula1.jpg


piajapaula2.jpg piajapaula3.jpg

The moment I spotted this print on the rack, I knew it had to be from Finland :). There are so many lesser-known Finnish labels out there who used to produce (or still do) stuff in the same vein as Marimekko.

The dress is made from a beautiful heavier cotton with a nice satin-like finish and it is unlined. At first I thought early 70s. However, the zip, which looks original, is a nylon zip and the seam edges are serged with nylon thread - which made me question my dating and ask myself if the dress might be newer. Somehow I would associate all this with something newer than 70s, but maybe I'm wrong? :wacko:

The sizing though of this dress would again be more consistent with a 70s dating, as it's marked a 38 but fits more like modern 34, and to all my experience with buying modern clothing in Finland, their sizing is about the same as what we use.

I have also noticed that the front neckline has been altered - very nicely though. In the back it's all original, including the nylon thread. I suspect it had a tighter neckline and someone made that a bit larger. Otherwise, no alterations and it's about ankle-length.

I'd like to know your opinions on dating this...

Thanks!

Karin
 
Karin, that print is fabulous! I still would say 70s on this. I have a couple of 70s' maxi dresses with very similar lines. Also, the sleeve treatment looks 70s. And if you mean that filament-type nylon thread, I again associate this mostly with the 70s.
 
I agree with 1970s, I adore whimsical prints like this and have recently been seeking out pictoral 70's designs myself. I can see this having had a short stand up collar originally.
 
Karin, I generally associate that nylon thread with the '80s but Anne has shown that it was used earlier too - this lovely dress has so many '70s style elements - even the label looks '70s - that I think you can safely date it then. Because of the sleeves, I'll go late '70s, around '78-79 and that almost ties with my experience of nylon thread too.
 
Thanks for your input, also re. the nylon thread! I'll go with late 70s then.

If you look at the modern Marimekko collection, they just do their own thing, and with their use of new and old prints, with some things you'd be hard pressed to decide how old or new they are... The prints are timeless anyway. There's just something about Finnish designs - and so many other companies produced clothes in the same vein in Finland, so there is a lot of great vintage to look out for, not just Marimekko (Vuokko is another great label). They once had a really big textile industry - and Marimekko has kept up. I have a few modern Marimekko things, not just clothes, and all of it is truly great quality.

Karin
 
I just received a message via Facebook about this dress:

Hi Karin!
I found this pic on internet. I was looking for any pics from Pia & Paula -design. My mother is the Pia in the name. My mother Pia Karjalainen with Paula Häkkinen designed prints and womens wear together in early 70's for a company called Scantex Oy. Owned by my parents. Paula left the company after a short while. I belive she went back to doing advertising. My mother desinged clothes for women, expectant mothers and babies till about 2003.
This is one of the early prints. So it's made early 70's, maybe around 1971. If my memory serves right this dress had a polo neck type of collar and the sweet little buttons went all the way up making a lovely neck line.
Thank you for appreciating my mothers work.

How neat is this? This is the first time this has happened to me hello kitty emoti!
 
Karin is this a dress for stock or are we going to see you looking amazing wearing it sometime in the future?
 
Oh Great! I did have a look at you vintage fun album on F/B I do not think I seen you with a Maxi on so it will be great to see you wearing it.
 
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