Two mid century evening dresses..

[Vmode]

... What do you all think datewise on these two lovely frocks?

Purple iridescent rayon/acetatey full length gown with fab halterneck flap details, size metal zip, stitched pleating to the skirt back & sides. Also some unfortunate rust staining from safety pin use at some point! Something I've been wondering about is the waistline- it's been awfully handrepaired (in bright green cotton?!) and I haven't had time to have a good look inside etc., but can anyone tell me if the raised center front waist would be original to the dress or if it's just the terrible mend!

Next is a glooooorious early 50s? dress in a stunning dark green crisp rayon with covered buttons and long sleeves with turn-back cuffs. Quite a high waist as I've seen before on some early 50s dresses that have come my way.. In the bodice shot, the lines in the fabric are small pleats, not creases!

Thanks everyone, happy monday!

 

[TangerineBoutique]

The (bad) alteration on the first dress looks like it was made to fit a specific body not a mend. I doubt that was the original cut of the dress. I was a custom dressmaker for many years and I had a client who had a front bodice length that was much shorter than the back length. Her dresses hung like that on a dress form but looked fine on her. Love the fabric on the second dress.

Melody

 

[Vmode]

Ok terrible alteration has been unpicked to restore to the intended fit, I thought perhaps it would be to conceal a rip or damage but the fabric is all intact so I guess it WAS just for someone with unusual proportions, who couldn't bear not to wear it..! Bad modern alterations really do my head in, I once came accross a lot of previously gorgeous '50s day dresses with that classic era-defining silhouette.. that had been totally masacred by their recent owner cutting off about 2ft from the bottom to make them into minis! Gah!

Something I forgot to add about the second dress, it has matching fabric-covered shoulder pads that I'll have to have another look at but my Mum recalls being 'fairly large'. I love it!

 

[Vmode]

Another update, below is a piece of broken boning taken from the purple dress, it looks like baleen..

Apologies for the slightly out of focus images :-o