Red child's dress - dating

plousia

plousia

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Totally lost on children's clothing. Another handmade beauty - very nicely made. Very high hem - maybe to be let down as the child grew?

I would *think* maybe 50s? But just a guess...

thanks in advance.
 

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Couple more pieces of data: the thread burn tests as cotton, and the interior seams are pinked. No overlocking or zigzag stitching. I'm thinking I might be safe in saying 40s or 50s?
 
I think it could be 1940's. Rick rack was popular then. And the print reminds me of 1940's. But let's what others say. The button up the back could be later.
Marian
 
Yes, the 60s was another thought I had. But the front white buttons appear earlier to me. They seem to be mother-of-pearl, as one of them has chipped in layers, and they have those wide self-shanks I associate with older buttons. They could, of course, have been older buttons used in the 60s.

Also the print isn't plaid, it's more like what I think I've seen referred to as foulard?
 

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It does appear to have a drop waist, but it has 4.25" of hem turnup, which is a lot especially for a child's dress. As mentioned up thread I wonder if it was meant to be let out as the child grew.

It would be interesting to see it on a little girl to see how it fit.
 
plousia said:
it has 4.25" of hem turnup, which is a lot especially for a child's dress. As mentioned up thread I wonder if it was meant to be let out as the child grew.
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When I sewed dresses for my own daughters, I always used a 4"-5" hem to allow for growth. One ultimately wants at minimum a 3" hem on home-sewn little girls' dresses. The weight of the fabric at the hemline allows for a better drape/hang of the fabric. At least that's the sewing advice I was given... way back when. :)
 
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The Vintage Vendeuse said:
When I sewed dresses for my own daughters, I always used a 4"-5" hem to allow for growth. One ultimately wants at minimum a 3" hem on home-sewn little girls' dresses. The weight of the fabric at the hemline allows for a better drape/hang of the fabric. At least that's the sewing advice I was given... way back when. :)
Click to expand...

Ah, interesting! I learned something new today.
 
So after spending some time perusing the Commercial Pattern Archive, I'm more convinced this is 60s than 40s:
  • 40s girls' dresses with sleeves mostly had puffed sleeves or sleeve headers (puffed sleeves show up a lot in the 60s as well, but not as ubiquitously)
  • dropped waists were indeed a thing in the 60s
  • box pleats also had their day in the sun in the 60s. The 40s girls' dresses mostly have either have princess seams (no waistline) or gathered skirts (I did see a couple with pleats, but they show up a lot more in the 60s)
  • I saw a lot of those horizontal decorative plackets with buttons in the 60s patterns
  • At least one 60s pattern has the buttons up the back bodice, whereas if 40s patterns have buttons they tend to be all the way down the front
I remain a bit puzzled by the cotton thread, but I suppose it being available in the 60s didn't necessarily mean everyone started using it right away.
 
plousia said:
I remain a bit puzzled by the cotton thread, but I suppose it being available in the 60s didn't necessarily mean everyone started using it right away.
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Do you mean synthetic thread, eg polyester, being available in 60s, but not necessarily used by everyone? People still sew with cotton thread today, although commonly cotton clothes these days are sewn with synthetic thread, which is really annoying if you want to dye something.

Cotton and cotton thread can't really tell you something is old. It's only that synthetic fabric and thread can tell you if something is new(er), if you see what I mean. Eg you don't get nylon in the 20s, but you still get cotton today.
 
Yes, sorry, typo! I meant that polyester thread being available didn't necessarily mean people switched to it right away.

Yes cotton thread is available now but is not commonly used. I even had a store clerk ask me if I was sure I wanted it (I buy it for vintage repairs) as it is not very strong. Indeed it breaks easily in the sewing machine. Oddly though, it costs more.

And 100%, it's really annoying to dye something and get that over line of thread in a different colour! Not much that can be done about it other than dyeing a similar colour to the original, or deciding you don't care.
 
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