Serged seams

S

stweber

Registered Guest
I just received a dress I purchased from Etsy. It was listed as a 1930s silk chiffon dress. Would you ever see serged seams on a chiffon dress from the 30s?

Thanks.
 
I've seen serged seams on a '30s petticoat, but not a silk chiffon dress - if you can post pics (including closeups of the serging and where the seams join) we can help determine dating and whether the serging was added later.

Serging goes back to Victorian times but it first appears (in my experience) in menswear, workwear especially and then in women's lingerie in the '20s. Occasionally you can find it in dresses of the '30s but not fancy things like silk chiffon. Personally, even now, I don't think it should be used on silk chiffon because it's a bulky finishing technique that can weigh the fabric down so I recommend French seaming instead.
 
Circa Vintage said:
I've seen serged seams on a '30s petticoat, but not a silk chiffon dress - if you can post pics (including closeups of the serging and where the seams join) we can help determine dating and whether the serging was added later.

Serging goes back to Victorian times but it first appears (in my experience) in menswear, workwear especially and then in women's lingerie in the '20s. Occasionally you can find it in dresses of the '30s but not fancy things like silk chiffon. Personally, even now, I don't think it should be used on silk chiffon because it's a bulky finishing technique that can weigh the fabric down so I recommend French seaming instead.
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Hi. Thanks for your comments. Here is a photo of the seams.
image.jpg
 
I think we need to see more of the garment, as that could be a later alteration. Can you show the dress, modelled if at all possible, plus things like shoulder pads, fastenings etc.
 
Beautiful dress, and those serged seams look original to me.

I have often used a fine serged edge on delicate fashion garments I have made and also theatre costumes- if you have the right machine you can get a very nice finish. My union special overlocker is very old, and a version of the same model they have been making since the early 20th century. If your dress was made in a factory it is this sort of machine or similar that would have been used.

Lets see what the rest of the team think :)
 
Thanks for the extra photos - I agree with Gayle in that the serging looks original, but I have not seen a sheer '30s dress with this finish.

Your dress looks to be georgette, not chiffon - I would burn test to see if you can discover fabric composition. It's a lovely dress but I suspect it's a more modern repro, so from the last forty years. If that's the case, it's a very nice one. It must be fairly old though, as the uneven hem suggests bias panels that have dropped, and this takes some time.

How is the hem finished? How long is it? It looks to be shorter than usual but that might just the be the photo or perhaps it was taken up at some point.
 
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