some help on a vintage hawaiian dress.. thanks

L

lostnowfoundvintage

Registered Guest
I have a dress made by Jaxon's of Waikiki, whom I've never heard of before. I am putting a date of late 40s/early 50s on the dress but want to just have a second opinion. Drop waist, full skirt, horse hair edging, front buttons with a metal side zip.

I have the dress shown with a crinoline and without - which is the way it is supposed to be worn do you think?

And lastly.. what is supposed to be done with the back drapes? loose.. folded in a special way.. I tried a couple of different looks which I did not like at all. The material on the back is the same as the dress and if it isn't folded over correctly then it shows only on one side. It seems a little long not tied.

and lastly.. sorry for the big pictures.. photobucket resizing isn't working for me currently.

hawaiiandress3-gallery.jpg
 
it's gorgeous, and those colors are unusual for a rayon hawaiian dress, which kind of threw me.

is that a matching belt at the waist i see? not sure. my first thought about the long sashes from the shoulders was they come across the front and cross over the bust, then wrap around the waist. but if it has a belt, makes no sense to cover the belt with the sashes. crossed over the bust and tied on the back??

i haven't seen any cool rayon used past the 50s in hawaiian, but i don't get a 40s vibe from this. i agree on 50s.
 
It has a matching belt. I put the sash in the front and tried to think of something cool to do with it but just stood there tapping my teeth with my fingers. When the sash is in the front then the blue is facing the dress and you see matching fabric facing outwards.
 
I'll go back and do another burn test. I am so bad at them. It could be a blend.. but it is thin like parachute material but feels a little more substantial. I have never had anything like it and the color.. It is a screen print for sure. It has those underarm cut outs (trying to think of the technical term) that you see in early 50s dresses.
 
yes, i was thinking it may have been meant to have a wrap bodice effect (coming down at an angle that matches the v neckline), so it would be right that the matching fabric side shows. not wrapped around the waist, then, since it does have a belt.

it's really lovely :)
 
and what do you think about the crinni? The waist is dropped so low that you would have to have one of the dropped waist crinni slips from the 50s... nothing modern would really work unless you wear it way down on your hips.
 
Originally posted by Catbooks1940s
yes, i was thinking it may have been meant to have a wrap bodice effect (coming down at an angle that matches the v neckline), so it would be right that the matching fabric side shows. not wrapped around the waist, then, since it does have a belt.

it's really lovely :)
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I'm going to put it back on my manni and try that. And thanks.. I think it is gorgeous I just want to do it justice!
 
cross posted :). could it be silk? now that i look at the label shot, it does look like it might be silk. if it is, and you do a burn test, it'll smell like burning hair. difficult to mistake, smells awful, lol!

oh, you mean underarm gussets.
 
we keep cross posting!

i can't decide about the crini. as you said, it would need one of those crinis that poof around high hip level. i want to say it was intended not to have one, but honestly it does show better with one.
 
The first thing I did was tie them at the back. It just looks loose and floppy and the wrong colors show on one side. So I tried a tie knot but that didn't work. The fabric doesn't have enough substance to pull off being tied is what I decided so wrapping does actually sound like what it is supposed to do.
 
Originally posted by thespectrum
That is gorgeous!

I agree on 50s. Have you tried tying the drape pieces loosely in the back?

I would also love to see it wrapped around the front as Joan suggested.
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Yes, I agree with this technique. It would be my best guess as well. When they are loosly draped one over the other they should end up reaching about hem level.

Still guessing 1950's as far as dating. I have to say that it is probably one of the most vibrant prints I've seen come out of that era. Very unique.

I would try to pull down your crinni so it doesn't bunch in the hip area if you're going to display the skirt fully. If not, I like it without.
 
Just joining the conversation. I would not call this a "Hawaiian Dress" just because it was made in Waikiki. Looks to me like a very pretty silk cocktail or afternoon dress made for a boutique in Waikiki in the '50's. It's beautiful and I think you have it on the manni correctly, now.

I have never heard of Jaxon's but will try to do a search to see if I can find anything. People really dressed in Honolulu - hats, gloves, etc.
 
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