Vintage Or Repro Dress?

[Liz Glover]

Hi All!

I was recently sold this dress (which I've bought as stock) but was told it was 60s. I'm thinking this is modern but in a vintage inspired style and bold print, but not actually with much age to it.

The label seems to have come off and left a dried glue residue though which is something I don't usually see in modern dresses (they're often machine stitched labels) although this could have been resold and someone stuck their own pricing label in it maybe.

Other than that, there's no makers mark etc. The zip in the back is nylon with a metal zip head which was made by "Eclair" who I see make zips for Louis Vuitton and I've also seen them in vintage clothing online, but this doesn't overly narrow down the age. It's not very stylised so I'd imagine is newer/from their cheaper range.

What especially makes me think it's older is the fabric too. It's some sort of elastane/Lycra (or something similar that's stretchy!) mix. The sort of thing a bodycon dress could be made of. Again, more of a modern fabric in my eyes - 90s onwards. I had a look into when elastane started to be used in clothing regularly and it seems to be a more recent thing despite being created in the late 50s. Just thought I'd check in in case I'm being fabric ignorant!

The style and cut seems modern too and having googled/ebay/depop checked, there are many very similar cuts and fabrics in the style of this dress from all the usual high street names, so maybe they were doing the usual and imitating each other a few years back.

Any help is appreciated as always, pics below, thanks in advance!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Hi Liz, do you have the dress in your possession? As you know, '60s and '70s styles have been revived multiple times so (in the absence of labels) it's good to go by fabric. As you've noted, the fabric might be more modern.

On the one hand, this could be an early '70s polyester knit dress, probably shortened from a longer length. So you can look at the hem to see if it's been altered. Another way to determine whether this is a vintage or repro is to look at the seams, as seam width changes through the decades - modern garments typically have no seam allowance at all. So look at the hem and seams. If you're unsure, share pics here and we can advise.

 

[Liz Glover]

Hi Liz, do you have the dress in your possession? As you know, '60s and '70s styles have been revived multiple times so (in the absence of labels) it's good to go by fabric. As you've noted, the fabric might be more modern.

On the one hand, this could be an early '70s polyester knit dress, probably shortened from a longer length. So you can look at the hem to see if it's been altered. Another way to determine whether this is a vintage or repro is to look at the seams, as seam width changes through the decades - modern garments typically have no seam allowance at all. So look at the hem and seams. If you're unsure, share pics here and we can advise.

Hi Nicole,

Thanks for the reply. Your questioning of the fabric just made me remember I have a fabric swatch book! I've just had a look through and found it could me a stretchy jersey knit (possibly single mercerized or classic interlock). I'd say almost definitely an elastane mix, likely polyester (too artificial feeling for cotton, not shiny enough for nylon, still has a fake feel and a shininess about it though). I found a two way stretch double jersey and a polyester elastane jersey and it's closest to those two. Not helped by the fact mine is patterned but that's what it feels and kind of looks like! Annoyingly I don't have any polyester knit samples, only cotton knits (the jerseys and similar stretchy knits) or mixed with elastane natural and man-made fabrics.

As for the hem, Its mainly been stitched with a plasticy thread (can't think what the word is! Like a very very thin bracelet string) but also has been stitched by hand using cotton in places and overlapping the plasticy thread until it runs out in places, which I assume is where the hem has been damaged and repaired at a later date (see pictures). The hem is a decent size but this may be to weigh the dress down perhaps, as it's very springy. The seams are overlocked and extremely thin.

It's a fab dress but seems to be made in quite a modern, cheaper, artificial way if that makes sense (sorry dress!) in comparison to some of the effort that would have gone into dresses in the past - the man made fabric and the skimping on the seams and such. But then, the 60s and 70s were often about mass producing so it's a tricky one!

If you've any thoughts on the attached photos or description, please let me know (or if anyone else does too).

Thanks again!

Liz

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Ah yes, those are the sorts of flat serged seams that were invented for sportswear and only used in womenswear fairly recently so I doubt your dress is vintage. The hem is likely shorted so it probably started originally at a longer length.

 

[Liz Glover]

Ah yes, those are the sorts of flat serged seams that were invented for sportswear and only used in womenswear fairly recently so I doubt your dress is vintage. The hem is likely shorted so it probably started originally at a longer length.

Thanks again for the reply, so probably a modern dress then. Most of the hem is sewn with that plasticy thread using a machine, it's just a few areas that have the hand sewn thread where the original has come away/undone, so I'm thinking that may be originally its length. I can't imagine anyone at home having the machine to make the precise oval stitches to sew it but maybe I'm wrong.

I spoke to my mum about the dress and she thought maybe 80s/90s but I'm wondering if it's just from the last few years (2000s onwards). It's so similar to a lot of other high street brand's versions that are being sold secondhand. It's so annoying that the label has come away!