Repair question and dating

[Vintagiality]

Hi all,

I am trying to figure out how to fix this dress. The bow (if it could be called that or does it have another name?) was torn off from the dress at the waist seam and now I am not sure how to positioning it correctly. It's probably hard to tell from the photos but it consists of of four parts almost like a four leaf clover with a gathered center seam. Is it supposed to be sewn in the way I have it in the picture and are the top two parts supposed to hang over the bottom two or are they to be stitched up?

Would you recommend that I do that or simply remove it completely and close the seam? It's literally hanging by a thread.

Finally, the dress came from an estate sale where everything was much older, including many Victorian style bodices but this one at least initially seemed newer to me, maybe late 60s, although it has a side metal zipper and the bodice style and construction doesn't really strike me as correct.


Thank you
Victoria

 

[retro ruth]

I'm finding it a bit hard to see what's going on in your photos, but it strikes me as a bustle (not exactly a true bustle in the Victorian sense, but a bustle-like feature), which means the four parts should hang down. Here's some sewing pattern examples similar to what I think I'm seeing:

Would you recommend that I do that or simply remove it completely and close the seam? It's literally hanging by a thread.

It's a nice feature so if you can fix it easily, I'd go for it.

As for dating, I can't really see the silhouette to be sure, but from what I can see, and the side zipper, I suspect the dress is around the late 40s / early 50s?

 

[Vintagiality]

Thank you so much Ruth! That’s exactly what it looks like and the more I look at it, the more I think it’s an earlier dress. I will post photos on a mannequin once I fixed it (hopefully!)

 

[Midge]

I think Ruth is spot on - and definitely repair it. I'd love to see the full dress as well.

 

[GemGem]

I'd love to see this on a mannequin! It looks gorgeous! I can't help being reminded of some of the more svelte costumes in Gone With The Wind.

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Yes, love to see it om a dress form. Great color!

 

[Pinkcoke]

I think if you can steam this out it will be much more apparant how it's supposed to sit.

 

[Vintagiality]

I think if you can steam this out it will be much more apparant how it's supposed to sit.

Thanks Melanie. I was afraid I would alter it by steaming it the "wrong" way but I think based on what Ruth posted I have a better understanding of what it's supposed to look like. My sewing skills are at best rudimentary so I am having a hard time figuring out how to sew it back into the seam. There is so much fabric. I may take it to a nearby seamstress and have her repair it if the cost isn't prohibitive.

 

[Vintagiality]

Since some of you said you would like to see it on a mannequin, here it is after I had the bustle like feature repaired.

 

[BonniesVintageClothesLine]

It's lovely and now you can see that it's definitely not 60s, but as Ruth said, from the late 40s-early 50s. Great find and BTW, your photos are very nice, too!

 

[Jonathan]

The fuller sleeve, train, that dipped front seam and the fuchsia colour look more late 30s to me - that Victorian revival stuff was popularised by Schiaparelli in 1939, and this looks like it might be a knock-off of a knock-off of a Schiaparelli to me. Victorian revival hangs around and is revived at the end of the war as well - picks up where it left off in 1939, but trains are unusual on anything but wedding dresses in the late 40s, and the sleeves seem too puffy to me for postwar. I would also expect a more sculpted or open neckline for the late 40s. This is SChiap in 1939 doing a high version of this look:

 

[Midge]

Great dress - love the color!

 

[Vintagiality]

Thank you Jonathan! Very interesting. I had originally not realized that there is a train until I actually put it on a mannequin. I love the back. Is there a name for the “wings” of fabric on the bodice?

 

[retro ruth]

Amazing dress! Well done

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

A beautiful gown!

 

[Pinkcoke]

I love the back. Is there a name for the “wings” of fabric on the bodice?

Teschnically, probably a flange, but thats not very pretty. I think I'd call them fins. Got to say, seeing it on a mannequin now, I think that's my favourite feature!

 

[claireshaeffer]

I would describe them as double flounces. By definition a flounce is flared, but if you don't think your reader knows that I would add flared flounce. A good place to look for these is on the Worth gowns. You can see about 50 with descriptions at MCNY.org. Go to online exhibitions.