Here’s another lovely shirtwaist dress for a Spring day, this one in rayon. It could have been custom made or ready-made – no tags or tell-tale details to help me be sure. In most cases, dating true vintage clothing is not an exact science, but with knowledge and experience can be pretty close. This frock makes me think of something Bonnie, of Bonnie & Clyde, might have worn.
Due to its age and previous history of wear, it did require a bit of rehab despite the wonderful condition. Buttons had to be replaced and, as I mentioned in a previous post, a “new” belt had to be constructed as the original was missing. I keep a store of vintage buttons for cases just like as this. Also, I keep vintage belts that are worn in order that they can be re-covered. That’s exactly what I did here – as there was lots of extra fabric in the hem allowance, I was able to harvest enough to re-cover a belt without messing up the original hem length. You can see that the color of the fabric in the belt is slightly darker than that of the dress, but I don’t mind. Sometimes that is done on purpose to add extra interest. Also, since covered belts usually would not be laundered along with a dress (since their insides are like cardboard), the dress fabric might fade a bit more over time. So, this un-faded piece of fabric from the interior of the hem (never exposed to sun) ends up being a perfect authentic-looking touch!!
To me, nothing says “Spring” more than these pastel printed dresses in breezy styles. The lingerie that must go with them, because of their sheerness, just adds to the package.
When I find one of these I really jump for joy! It’s just one thrill after another because, you just never know .. . . . .
MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY
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