To buy, or .... not to buy?

MyVintageCocktail

MyVintageCocktail

VFG Member
I stopped this a.m. at an antiques/collectibles shop I used to frequent but haven't been to in a while, and found a couple of vintage dresses. They don't usually have clothing, but they had a 60's Jack Horwitz sundress in mint condition at a ridiculous price, so I grabbed it. I'm tempted to go back for the other piece, but am torn. It's a 60's silk wiggle dress with short jacket, in a beautiful goldish-beige color, very stylish & well made, not a "fancy" name (a Leslie Fay Original). Lovely, especially the color, but has a bad armpit stain on the right side, not bad at all on the left. She'll discount it for me, but I really hesitate to buy it 'cuz of the staining. I ALREADY have one 60's dress & jacket suit hanging on my rack with staining that didn't come out, and I'll eventually have to dye that one or trash it. I don't need another one! These stains are dark, not lighter than the surrounding material, whereas the other suit has stains that clearly bleached out the color. I've had some dresses with such staining come clean with professional dry cleaning, and others at least lighten up a bit.

The balance of this dress is immaculate & the jacket is perfect. Any feedback on results some of you may have had, or if you think this is worth buying as is & hoping for a good result. Or, have any of you tried dying pieces like this, or had them dyed?
Thanks!
 
I don't know, Anne.

It sounds pretty. What makes me hesitate is that that color is not always an easy sell as it is. (goldy beige/peachy beige, etc that are hard to describe). Leslie Fay tends to be more conservatively cut so it might not have a real bombshell silhouette to it that would make someone go out on a limb to if it has issues, and a lot of times those sheath dresses from the early 60s with jackets sit for awhile. (not saying conservatively cut is a bad thing!!!) Unless like i say, the color really pops or is different, the neckline has something interesting about it or is not extremely high, or it is more hourglassy versus the boxier Jackie Kennedy styles. Or unless it is a hard to find size. Or if its a novelty print.

If this were without the stains, I would definitely get it. But there is so much out there in that silhouette right now that someone might not forgive a stain remnant. Or it would have to be very inexpensive, and the jacket would have to be nice enough that someone would buy it for the jacket to stand on its own, with the dress thrown in as a bonus if the cleaning didn't work out.

I could be totally wrong and off base, though!

I might go back and try to get them to call you when they get things in so you get first shot, though.
 
I don't know either really - I tend to steer clear of armpit issues.. like you say Anne, I have a number of otherwise lovely items that I hoped I'd be able to clean up a bit and failed (so know either i wear them or save them for fabric - I have a HUGE fabric 'pile'!)

So depending on how cheap I would be torn. If it's so cheap you hardly have anything to lose then go for it. Would the jacket be a fairly easy sell alone?

Agree with Chris on maybe giving them your card for next time.. and of course I want to see pics of the 60s sundress :)
 
Thanks, both! You've confirmed my doubts! It is really pretty, and if it would fit me, I'd take it hoping the stains would come out, or try to dye it. But it's an 8 or so, and it hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of fitting me!

It is MUCH nicer & stylish, very figure flattering with fitted waist and curvy shape, than any Leslie Fay piece I've seen from that era--they do tend to be somewhat dowdy! I'd even call this one "chic." And the color is more gold than beige, nicer than the darker shades of beige that bore--shimmery with the silk finish. But the price isn't so cheap that I could profit a whole lot if I had to pay for cleaning & it didn't come out perfect!

Think I'll go back & leave my name & number with her, and if she'll give me that suit for say, 5 bucks, I'd take it... LOL! But no more than that!
 
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