Question re: repair to 1930s cotton jumpsuit / pajamas

[KM75007]

Hello to all,

I have a question re: how to repair a jumpsuit / romper I acquired recently (beach pyjamas? if anyone has any insight on what this garment actually is, that would also be appreciated!). I am assuming this is from the 1930s.

Overall, the fabric is in great condition for its age -- but someone used a pen or marker to write on the inside of neckline, and it appears as if the ink has degraded the fabric over the years (?) -- it's starting to tear and split. The damage is only in the area surrounding the ink, but I don't want it to tear further if it's stressed or worn.

How would you go about fixing this area? I could take it to someone who works with textiles / antique clothing, but I thought I would ask in case the repair would be simple enough to make on my own. I'm not sure whether it could be patched or how to go about it. Any insight would be appreciated -- thank you!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Great jumpsuit, really sweet.

My guess is that your jumpsuit is suffering from iron mordant - the black dye in the marker contains iron salts that are rotting the fabric. Here is my blog post about the issue.

The good news is that it's only where the marker was used, that is affected, so you could darn these portions and the fabric will be strong. If you wanted a stronger solution, you could colour match some cotton fabric and darn with a patch behind it.

 

[northstarvintage]

Those are adorable! I've seen that style referred to as "beach pajamas."

 

[KM75007]

Thank you, Nicole -- very helpful information and it makes a lot of sense! I will definitely have to see if I can patch / darn the area (or find someone who can!).

Susan, thank you! I wondered if they were beach pajamas, actual pajamas or some kind of in-between loungewear. The bow tie on the front kind of made me lean toward beach pajamas, but I wasn't sure.