Styled by Adrian Toronto Label Dress Dating Help
- Thread starter laurenm
- Start date
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
It looks like a type of Chantilly lace to me, but cannot be sure without a close up of the lace. I would say early 1960s. Nice!
I would agree with Barbara above on the early 60s.
Circa Vintage Clothing
Alumni
Agree with early '60s and I think it looks like a fairly standard nylon lace, probably on a acetate taffeta base/lining. These were very popular and you see a lot of them. Bridesmaids were also very keen on them during this time, and mothers of the bride. Sometimes they have matching lace afternoon jackets, that may or may not be lined in the same acetate (sometimes the lining or lace is rayon or silk).
Circa Vintage Clothing
Alumni
Probably the drapery is throwing you off, but if you look at the overall silhouette: soft shoulder line, nipped in waist and shortish skirt....combined with the fabrics. It helps that I've seen thousands of these. The soft colour is also '50s-early '60s.
MyVintageCocktail
VFG Member
Lauren, nylon lace over acetate taffeta can be found in several eras--on your dress, it's the styling more than anything, and, as Nicole says, also the color--taken with the fabric. Although certainly the lace-over-taffeta construction was rampant in the 50s!
I'm inclined to put this at the late 50s myself (but it could be very early 60s). Kind of hard for me to tell without holding it in my hands. I love this style of dress and have had several, including at least 2 or 3 I have now. They've all carried the 1963 and earlier Union label; if you look carefully on yours, you might find one. My own dresses of this sort that have had any hip swag or drape, etc., have always "felt" and looked more 50s to me, when holding it in person. Can't say "exactly" why.... Might be the more involved detailing yours has. That may not be any kind of "accurate" vintage rule, but that's just what my own dresses in this style have given me the feeling of. FWIW....
I'm inclined to put this at the late 50s myself (but it could be very early 60s). Kind of hard for me to tell without holding it in my hands. I love this style of dress and have had several, including at least 2 or 3 I have now. They've all carried the 1963 and earlier Union label; if you look carefully on yours, you might find one. My own dresses of this sort that have had any hip swag or drape, etc., have always "felt" and looked more 50s to me, when holding it in person. Can't say "exactly" why.... Might be the more involved detailing yours has. That may not be any kind of "accurate" vintage rule, but that's just what my own dresses in this style have given me the feeling of. FWIW....
Circa Vintage Clothing
Alumni
Anne, that's a good point about the drape and swag - you do find them a lot more in the '50s. I must admit I was pushing this into the early '60s based mostly on the shorter length, but it could have been shortened. It's nice the way the them dips up at the wrap around.
MyVintageCocktail
VFG Member
I really like that, too, and it makes the dress a bit more unusual than you generally find in this style. The other thing about the length is that it could have been proportioned as a "half size" for shorter gals. Or, as you say, could have been shortened.
If there weren't as much detailing on this (the swag and also the bodice and hip pleating/tucking--I wouldn't quite call it ruching), I'd have been more apt to think 60s, but I think of the 60s' versions as generally being simpler in lines.
Jonathan
VFG Member
Adrian of Toronto specialized in making dressy low end clothes. All their fashions were watered down copies of copies of copies of high end styles and a several seasons behind the leading fashions. This dress is likely 1965 - 1966ish. Their clothes were aimed at the secretary and suburban housewife.
