Three dresses need dating help

[onceoza]

The first dress is the print with spaghetti straps. It has a metal talon side zipper. There are no tags, and the estate had a lot of sewing stuff, so I assume that it was homemade.

The second dress only has the paper tag. It has a crewel type design with a black taffeta underskirt and a metal back metal conmar zipper.

The third dress is from the 70's, I believe. I can't make out the label because the edges have frayed parts of the letters.

Thanks and I appreciate your help.

 

[carla rey]

The last dress is by Marek New York, a label that did primarily wild prints. I'm sure others will along to pipe in.

 

[Pinkcoke]

I would say the sundress was 1950's to early 60's, the cocktail dress 1950s and the Marek mid 70's.
I think something has been done to the cocktail dress skirt, you shouldn't be able to see the lining unless it was a design feature, which I'm not feeling with this. Maybe they were halfway through shortening it? Can you show the hems?

 

[onceoza]

Hi and thanks so much for your responses. I definitely think the cocktail dress was made with the taffeta at the bottom. Here are some pictures.

 

[Pinkcoke]

I don't know, it looks strange as it is, it may be just because it doesn't have a underskirt to lift it out though.

 

[onceoza]

I put a crinoline under it. Does it look better?

 

[onceoza]

Okay.... My listing wasn't successful selling the black cocktail dress. I called the design "crewel". Is that maybe the wrong word?

 

[carla rey]

I wouldn't call that crewel, I see machine embroidery.

 

[onceoza]

Thanks! I don't sew a lick, so these terms escape me.

 

[carla rey]

You might want to familiarize yourself with the Fabric resource if you already haven't, I have found it very helpful!
http://vintagefashionguild.org/fabric-resource-a-z/