Please help with this odd print dress with lace collar

[Jen S]

I believe this dress is from the 70s but made to look older, like a peasant-y revival-ish thing, but I'm not at all sure! It's hand-made, a thin print cotton, and the seams are overcast. No closures, just this weird little bit of fabric and hook and eye thing at the front neckline, ties in the back. Maybe the lace could be older? Maybe it could be an update/alteration of an older garment?? Thanks for your help!

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Looks to me as if this is a genuine antique garment, which may or may not have been altered along the way. The fabric is especially wonderful, and the print has an Arts and Crafts period pattern, with those "flat roses" as often attributed to several artists of the period.

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

it's hard to tell without handling it, but it sure has a great look (imo)! my first impression was older than 70s, too, when i glanced at your images, Jenny.

 

[Jonathan]

Very pretty print - it cut of the dress looks 1925ish to me although the print it a bit old fashioned for 1925 - As Barbara said, its an arts and crafts print, which is more common in the 1910s, although it does go into the early 1920s. It would be hard to find a print like that being used much past 1924/25.

 

[Jen S]

Wow, when I first saw it I thought the fabric looked really old but the sort of casual way it's constructed made me assume it must be newer. So I'm adding some interior details. Maybe this will help more. The fabric is very thin and does have multiple weakened areas. Also it's quite see-through which made me think any genuinely older garment would've been lined. Hmm, thanks!

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

I keep coming back to look at this lovely dress, mostly because I adore the fabric. My first thoughts were it was an antique dress circa 'Teens era that was altered and I still feel that is a strong possibility, especially due to the shorter length. As Jonathan mentioned, you would not generally see an A & C fabric used in clothing after the early 1920s. The loose style and those wonderful front panels (do they float?) and shorter length look more mid 1920s.

Someone could have found the unused fabric and loved it, or found an antique dress and loved the fabric, so took it apart to make up a home made dress in the mid 1920s. If so, the fabric itself could be even older, perhaps going back to 1900.

The fabric looks like a cotton or linen. It might be a hand block printed fabric, or it could be screen printed. Either method adds to the charm and rarity. I think it is a very special dress.

 

[Jen S]

Thank you, Barbara! I think it's cotton. It's very thin and has a sort of clinging texture, so even though the front panels are loose from the under skirt (they're attached at the side and then loose from the top to bottom), they don't really move much. When I put it on my dress form I had to shake them out to get them to hang right, since the fabric wants to stick to itself.

 

[morning-glorious]

I agree with Barbara, I think it may have started its life around 1910 and was later re-worked. Definitely not 1970s, though! Sweet dress!

 

[yumyumvintage]

I would guess it was common to recycle a dress especially if you were poor and needed something nice to wear. Pretty pretty dress.

 

[Jen S]

Thank you all. So interesting. I have never handled any dress older than the 1940s except for one obviously Victorian dress, and I know very little about the earlier garments, so I really appreciate all your insights.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

I do not know your plans on the dress, but you may want to do more research on the fabric before you pass it on or sell it. It may be European in origin, possibly Scottish in origin, or Austrian. If it (the fabric) was designed by a famous artist or from a well known school, that adds to the value and importance of the garment.

 

[Jen S]

Thank you for the advice. Are there any particular resources you'd recommend for research?

 

[bycinbyhand]

Hi there! We came across a dress like this at an estate. Very similar type of thin muslin like fabric and very similar type of print. Originally we thought it was late 1910s but after research into the family learned it was early 1920s. Hope that helps.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Jen,

When I can, I will look into contact information on several sources both here in the USA and in Europe. I can send this to you via message, if you prefer. It may take me a bit to get this all together for you. As a 30 year long collector of these types of textiles, I just get a sense that it deserves some more research.

 

[Jen S]

Thank you, Cin, that is certainly helpful! And thank you Barbara, that is most kind of you. Please take your time and sending a message or posting here are both fine.

I'm excited it's so old! I found it in a random bag full of balled up scarves at a rummage sale, go figure.