From the seller:
I purchased this dress to wear as I am looking for clothing for my trip on the Titanic Memorial Cruise in April but sadly this dress is too small.
I am not an expert in this field of collecting so this is a buy as is auction. This is an amazing original Edwardian turn of the century dress. I would date it from the Titanic era, around 1912. The sad part is that this dress really needs some archival repair. I tried to take as many photos as I could to show the condition. There are a few tears in the lace collar and a tear in the bottom part of the dress, or a small hole. There are also a few brown age marks and inside the dress the underarm pads have some very bad stains but it looks like the pads can be removed. The belt is black silk velvet and all the buttons or snaps are little rhinestone type ornamental buttons. Again, I’m not an expert and I’m sure my description shows it. The material feels like silk or silk cotton and the color is a beautiful ocean blue. The lace is a bit fragile too and needs some repair. I’m sure with some good mending the dress could possibly be put back into a condition where you could wear it.
There is also some kind of underskirt with it not shown in the scans above. However, the blue material on this little under piece looks good but it also has some white silk attached to it that has completely fallen apart. I’m not sure what it was used for because I can’t find where it would go on or in the dress. So, it might be useful as extra material.
Now to the size. I would say it’s an extra small. The waist laying flat measures about 12 ½”, the bust from arm pit to arm pit laying flat measures about 16”, the back from shoulder seam to shoulder seam is about 15” and the length is about 49”. This dress must have been exquisite in its day. Please email me with any questions and buy as it.
From Me:
This is one of those dresses that looks good because of the details like the tiny buttons and bows.
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ReplyDeleteWow, a piece of history! This blue Titanic era dress conjures images of grand voyages. The seller's honesty about its condition is refreshing, laying bare the challenges of preserving such delicate garments. It's fascinating how clothes become time capsules. I once bought a vintage jacket online that was described as gently used. It arrived with a missing button and a moth-eaten sleeve, far from gently used! I needed to decide to return it or to fix it myself. love tester this situation mirrors that a little bit. I ended up learning to sew, so it was a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating piece of history you have here! The Edwardian era has such unique charm, and it's great to hear you’re trying to preserve it, even if it needs some repairs. I can only imagine how beautiful it must have looked during the Titanic era. If you ever feel like taking a break, you might enjoy playing Run 3 ; it’s a fun game to unwind after a long day of restoration work.
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