Sunday, December 22, 2013

Natural Form Era Working Class Plaid Dress









From the seller:

Beautifully preserved old dress,partially hand sewn,stunning old woven cotton fabric,looks like it just walked off the set of Little House on the Prairie,though this is not a reproduction! Strong fibers still,partially lined in muslin and stifel fabric,all original shell buttons 19 total. Will fit a modern misses size 6/8,measures 14" between the shoulders seams,36" around the bust,28" unrolled cuffs and 36" arouns the waist.

Gathered at the mid back,small pouf on the shoulders,the ruffle reinforced with stifel fabric,the pockets and bodice lined in muslin.A small pocket on the upper chest,needs a few stitches.Very clean throughout,the only real wear is on the collar fold.The fabric is stunning and strong,this old dress could easily worn today.


From Me:

Most likely a wrapper dress that is just displayed a bit oddly. I don't know what the seller means about 28" unrolled cuffs. To me, although clearly a dress, it looks a bit like a men's bed shirt.

6 comments:

  1. I think the owner is talking sleeve length.

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    1. Possibly. :-) However, 28" is very long - most sleeves are about 22". It's also not a normal measurement to take.

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  2. That is quite a difference. How long is the cuff itself? Might that make up some of the length? A 6" cuff is still pretty deep.

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    1. What I think may be more likely is that the seller was doing something I do way too often - typing and talking at the same time. The waist doesn't look to be 36" - ie, the same as the bust. A 36" bust, 28" waist, and 36" hip would make a lot more sense for measurements. However, typing while you are telling the person behind you to just "unroll the cuff" and forgetting to proof-read is pretty common. :-D

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  3. I think you are right about this being a man's sleeping shirt or possibly a dressing gown. The front placket buttons the way a man's shirt should, though I can't remember when exactly that became usual for clothing. Men's fashions at the time were cut close to the figure like women's.

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    Replies
    1. Although similar, it's a women's dress. The way the back is folded and draped is what you'd expect to see in the natural form dresses of the period. Men's gowns would be flat or gathered without any accommodation for a waistline. :-)

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