Teen's Era Summer Dress

From the seller:

From a Vermont estate, this is a darling gauzy linen tea dress from the Edwardian era circa 1910. Off white in color, the linen has drawn thread stripes in alternating rows of 2's and 3's. The large collar and long nicely tapered sleeves are trimmed in lace and the full skirt has 2 tier bands on the bottom.There are tiny match stick pleats and the waist. The top wraps around and fastens at the waist; the hooks need to be replaced as they are only partially there. A few light brown spots an area of light brown discolor is evident in the photographs so please look at the pictures. Some may come out with a spot cleaning. There just a few small flea bites and couple of stitches needed here and there in the seam. That said, the dress looks great as you can see in the picture and the integrity of the linen is very good. Either for display or occasional wear, it has held up well. The measurements are: waist 24-26", shoulder to shoulder 13" bust 34", circumference armhole 14", waist to 31". I love the tag sewn in with the owner's name.

From me:

Probably a "uniform" dress of sorts that was required in college. My college used to have a copy of their "requirements" from 1914, I believe. It included a trunk with two dresses, a navy blue skirt, two shirt waists, and gloves. :-) Since the girls would sometimes send the clothing off to be washed, name tags were required.

Late Edwardian Sheer Black and Cream Evening Dress

From the seller:

DESCRIPTION:

Titanic Era Edwardian Antique Vintage Illusion Beaded Tulle Silk Party Dress

Stunning piece from the Edwardian Era! Back hook and eyes (some may need reinforcement).

CONDITION: Excellent. No visible issues. Small faint discoloration inside the bodice (not visible at the exterior). Amazing for its age. Do not miss out!


Bust(approx.): 32
Waist (approx.): 24
Hips: free
Length: shoulder to hem 51 1/2, shoulder to waist 14


(measured flat, waist is snug, bust approximated, leave room according to your preferences, all in inches)

Accessories are not included.

From Me:

Based on the neckline, probably about 1909 give or take a year.

Teen's Era Pink Suit!

From the seller:

I bought this dress years ago when I could wear it, but only did a time or two. Since then, it is too small in the hips and I have just displayed it on a bed. I really am not sure about the age, material, etc, so the descriptions are a good guess. It is a fairly heavy material and does not wrinkle easily. Perhaps linen? I think it should be the early years of the last century but will be happy to try and answer questions. It was a deeper pink, but has faded. It is 54" from shoulder to hem. It is ankle length for a person who is 5'6". There is one small brown hole on the dress. The Jacket is 24" down the center of the back and arms are 20" from the top of the shoulder to the bottom edge. There are many hooks and eyes to close the front of the dress. The trim is braiding in black and blue. The buttons are square fabric covered on the bodice and two on each of the arms. The side lace inserts on the jacket and dress and the front panel on the dress have no rips or tears.I am selling it because I hope that someone who buys it will know more about preserving it or can enjoy wearing it. Lying on the bed with the skirt spread makes it look very broad, so I took a picture hanging as well.

Q: Hello there! I wonder if you would be able send some measurements particularity the bust and waist... Also whilst you there would you be able let me know the seam allowance size, so I know if I win I will be able to alter it to fit! Sorry to be a bother. Thank you Emma Sep-04-14
A: Hi, It is difficult to say exactly as I don't want to handle the dress much now that I am putting it up for sale. I took a tape measure and measured approx. 32-33" bust and 26" waist. The bottom side seams, two are 1/2 " with binding at edges and two are only 1/4" no binding. The problem is that the seams only extend from the bottom to about or slightly below the hips. The lace inserts provide all the seams above and I don't think you could easily change them. I did not want to wear the dress myself after once, for fear I would damage it (not to mention spreading hips). Hope this helps.

From Me:

Probably 1914 give or take a couple of years. I honestly thought - based on the first photo- it was one of those vintage 1980's suits. However, it's clearly not.

Mid 1860's Wedding Dress

From the seller:

A beautiful 1860’s golden silk moiré dress. The fabric has a green undertone and is changeable depending on the light reflection. The dress was originally worn by Julia Beutts as part of her wedding trousseau. The dress was later worn by her daughter Ella A.A. Lcammon on her wedding day. The old note that comes with the dress has great family history. The dress consists of three pieces, the bodice, skirt and peplum belt. The bodice has full pagoda style sleeves. The bodice and sleeves are trimmed with gold lace and gold silk braiding. The bodice is lined with cotton and has a front button closure. The bodice also comes with an extra pair of sleeves. The skirt is fully lined with polished cotton. The dress is in good antique condition. The bodice has three1 inch splits and a couple of other tiny stress breaks. There is some slight underarm discoloration under one arm on the inside lining only. The skirt has a 3 ½ inch repair on the opening and is missing its waistband and pleating. There are no other splits or holes in the skirt. Some pleating has been done so the gown could be displayed. (Please see photos.) A stunning dress for display only. Bust 34 Waist 26 Front skirt length 42 Back length 47 Width at hemline 140.

From Me:

I bet the "gold" tone the fabric looks now is just the aging of the fabric.  I'm sure, as the note says, it was originally a lovely white moire dress.

American Civil War Era Green Plaid Dress

From the seller:

A fetching 1860’s Civil war era green and black plaid silk dress. The bodice has full pagoda styled sleeves that are trimmed with black velvet ribbon. The top of the sleeves are ruched. The neck, armscyes and waist are piped. The bodice is lined with cotton and has a front button closure. The skirt waist has cartridge pleating. The skirt is fully lined with buckram. The dress is a small size. It is in good and sturdy condition. There are a few scattered pencil tip size holes and one small pea size hole under one arm. There is some light underarm discoloration and the back of the skirt hemline has a wide watermark on the fabric. (Please see photo.) The dress is for display only. Bust 32 Waist 20 Skirt length 41 Width at hemline 130.

From Me:

I wouldn't be surprised if a)this was an 1850's dress made into an 1860's outfit later on and b) this was for a young miss/teenager.

1860's Dress With Ruffles!

From the seller:

A very pretty 1860’s Civil War era golden yellow silk dress being offered for study or pattern. The dress is elaborately trimmed with bands of black velvet ribbon. The bodice has a front button closure. The buttons are covered with matching silk. The bodice is lined with cotton. The skirt is attached to the waist with cartridge pleating. The hemline is trimmed with 5 ruffles. The skirt is unlined except for a wide band of cotton at the edge of the hemline. There are two nickel size age spots on the front of the skirt and underarm splitting and discoloration. There are also underarm gusset repairs. There is some minor age spotting on the skirt hemline and one 2 ½ size hole in the bottom ruffle. (Please see photos.) Still makes a pretty display dress. Bust 32 waist 23 ½ Skirt length 42 Width at hemline 128. The dress is for display only.

From Me:

I think this needs to go into my "need to make" pile of ideas.....

1930's Smock

From the seller:

It is a hand swen old cotton dress. It was laundried and bleached but still have stains and spots. No holes or tears.

Armpit to armpit:22", length: 42". The color is ivory.

Please refer to the pictures for more information.
Thank you for looking and happy bidding!
(Sorry we only ship to USA address)

From Me:

I bought the twin of this shift/smock from this seller and I can confirm - 1930's. Mine even has faded written on it to tell me what feed/flour sack it came from. We tend to have this idea that, once the 1870's hit, everyone began to use the sewing machine and hand sewing was just for those places the sewing machine couldn't get to. That's not really true. Many people were too poor to afford a sewing machine and often too poor to buy clothing from a catalog. You made do with what you had. In the 1930's, that meant using the fabric from the flour sacks or feeds sacks - to the point the companies started to compete by producing pretty prints for the various sacks. My guess, this smock is from the early 1930's - right during the Great Depression and meant for a lady.