What is this and how would it be worn?

[plousia]

I found this....thing. It is made of black velvet (although the black appears to have undergone some colour shift as it has purplish highlights). I think the velvet is cotton?

It has an elasticized section and fastens with large metal hook and eye.

Am I right in thinking it must be some kind of belt? If so, what would it be worn with? I found it attached to a jacket it obviously didn't belong to. The thrift shop employee said it had come with a dress, but it didn't seem like it went with the dress either, and she couldn't find the dress.

Also, what approximate era would it be?

(sorry for the poor quality photos)

 

[GemGem]

It looks like a cumberbund to me, or belt. Worn around the higher waist.

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

I agree that it looks like a cumberbund/belt... is the length appropriate for that? You don't mention a measurement.

 

[plousia]

Why so I didn't, how silly of me. It is 30.75" at rest to about 34" maximum stretch. That's flat; when hooked it loses about 1.5" of that.

What would it have been worn with? Does the wider decorative part go in the front or the back? Any ideas of approximate age?

(sorry for silly questions; still learning a lot)

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

The wide part is worn to the front.

The construction of this reminds me of some that we acquired in Bali in the early 1990s. I just love them, they are typically considered a more formal look, often worn with those wide shouldered dresses of the 80s.

 

[plousia]

Thanks, this is somehow an item of clothing that I never knew about. I am pretty sure this one is quite a bit older than 90s, but the photos don't show it well. I'll try to take better ones and upload them.

 

[retro ruth]

It looks older to me in the photos too. I remember this kind of thing from the 80s, but I think yours could be much older. I wonder came with a dress originally.

 

[plousia]

Pity we couldn't find the dress it was found with; that could have been interesting, though the employee seemed to think it didn't look like it went with the dress either.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

I don't think it has a lot of age: I love those hooks, use them a lot and remember when they came in, about 1990. I would have been very happy to have them when I was costuming in the '80s but they weren't available then, or at least not common enough to have made it to Australia.

It looks like either an Edwardian or 1940s style belt to me, considering it's likely modernish (elasticated piece suggests this too), I'd expect it to be more costume or fancy dress than historical clothing.

Nicole

 

[plousia]

Thanks, that's helpful!