1920's Black Dress

From Karen:
I have attached photos of a 1920s knee-length black Rayon dress. There are no openings, it is a pullover. The collar has pleated, pinked trim all around. The sleeves have a small cuff which used to have snap openings. Only one snap remains. The dropped waist is beautifully ruched, ending in three layers of pleated, pinked trim applied to the skirt on the front only. The back has a small belt attached at the side seams. The measurements are 19 bust and waist, measured flat. This is a fun dress. There are no labels but it is beautifully made. It does have a few small holes in the fabric

From Me:

I have a similar one from a few years earlier. These are neat in person because we have such similar dresses today - almost 100 years later!

1920's Lace Dress

From Karen:

I have attached pictures of a 1920's Robe de Style party dress. It is cream silk with cream lace and silk roses, velvet and silk leaves cascading down the front. It has ten snaps and two hooks/loops at the side. The dropped waist is piped and the skirt gathered to the piped waist. The bodice is lace and silk. I have stabilized the bodice lace with sheer netting and invisible thread. The bust is 17 (flat), waist is 16 (flat). There are small, attached panniers under the skirt to hold it out. I have tried to photograph them as best I could. The lace flounce on the skirt is 16 inches deep. This really is a lovely dress.

From Me:

Thank you so much Karen for sharing photos of your collection!

Men's 18th Century Iridescent Coat

From the seller:

Silk
The color is in french : "gorge de pigeon".
I don't know the color in english. It's pink or green, it depend of the light.
Lining : silk and linen

PERFECT CONDITION
Silk outside and inside : perfect
Buttons : All present and intact

From Me:

From Dames a La Mode, 1780's

1840's Dress

From the seller:

A beautiful 1840’s celery green silk brocade dress. The fabric has a floral pattern. The dress is all hand stitched. The bodice has a fan pleated front and short cap sleeves over the longer sleeve. The neck, shoulders, waist, cap sleeve and inner seam on the sleeves are all piped. The bodice is lined with cotton and has a back hook and eye closure. The skirt is unlined except for a band of cotton at the edge of the hemline. The dress is in good and sturdy condition. The center seam on the bodice has been partly opened. This is a period alteration possible for a nursing mother and can easily be re-stitched. There are circles of mild underarm discoloration, mostly under one arm, a nickel size age spot on the front of the bodice, a 4 inch age mark on the lower side hemline. (See photo.) There are a few other small pea size age spots and one pea size hole near the back waist area. Most of these age flaws do not show when displayed. Antique clothing is for display/collecting and should not be worn. Bust 32 Waist 23 Skirt length 40 Width at hemline 126.

From Me:

More green!!!! :-D

1840's Evening Bodice

From the seller:

This is an 1860's bodice. In a celery brocade, it's trimmed with blue satin, along with blue, tan, and brown fringed edging. There is a corset style lacing arrangement in back, this is it's only fastener. There is a separate, matching brocade panel that lines and protects the lacing inside. It's lined with brown cotton,

Only flaw I see is that the lining is deteriorating, must've been something in the brown dye. The brocade and fringe is in excellent shape.

From a group of clothing belonging to the Tyler-Brown family.

I will be listing several other items belonging to this family, including an id'd Civil War bridesmaid's outfit, over the next couple of days.

From Me:

This one looks like it was originally made in the 1840's but redone later on (maybe the 1860's). The shoulders are very much in keeping with the 1840's. This type of brocade was really popular in the 1840's as well.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Late 18th Century Women's Riding Habit Jacket!

From the seller:

This is a rare velvet tailcoat from the early third of the 19th, or possibly the last decade of the 18th, century. In a dark, moss green, it has a high collar, two pockets with a wide, shaped edge, short tails. There is no underarm seam, which dates it, approximately, to before 1820. The present of the outside pockets could date it to before 1800.

It's lined with a brown homespun type linen or heavy cotton, with a natural, tan lining the sleeves. There were fourteen steel buttons in front, ten remain. The wrists had two self fabric covered buttons each, one remains at each wrist. It's quilted at the collar, also at the inside chest to both the inside velvet and the lining, where there is a wide chest pocket. There is a loop to hang inside, which is broken off at one end.

It measures 38" around at the chest, it's 13 12" between the shoulder seams in back, sleeve is 27 1/2", it's 27 3/4" long in back from the collar seam to the bottom of the tail.

In good condition, with some wear, color loss to the velvet, around the edges, mostly, and at the elbows. As mentioned, four of the steel buttons at the chest, and one at each wrist, are missing. The lining has some discoloration, I don't see any holes or tears. The dark, moss green shade is shown best in the pictures not on the mannequin, it's also a little darker than any of the pictures show, the lighting giving it some white spots and fading that is not present. The form does not look to have been altered.

Nice to find an early coat with some late 18th century characteristics, and in color.

From Me:

From Dames A La Mode on Tumblr, 1786

From Dames A La Mode on Tumblr, 1791

Although you might think "Hey, it's a coat! That means it's a men's coat!", that isn't true in this case. The easiest way to tell the difference between Men's coats of this time period and women's is by asking a simple question "Can you sit on those tails?". In this case, the tails are short and rounded - you probably wouldn't be able to sit on them easily- meaning they were for a women's outfit. Men's outfits of this same period and a bit later had tails that, generally, went almost to the back of the knee.

Late Teen's Era/Early 1920's Nightgown

From Karen!

Hi, I have attached photos of a silk slip/nightgown, never worn, with herringbone embroidery on sleeves, around neckline and down the front, lace insertion, front and back, and lace all around neckline. The front and back are identical, including the embroidery and insertion panel. Not sure of the vintage, perhaps 30's or earlier? It is in mint condition and whisper-soft.

From Me:

Again, thank you, Karen, for sharing your photos. I believe this is from the late 1910's/early 1920's. Here are some examples that have similar aspects to this nightgown.

1910's pattern

The above pattern has similar placement for details. Honestly, add sleeves and round out the neckline and it looks like the same pattern.

http://www.marquise.de/en/1900/pics/1910/1919_6.shtml

The third from the left, second from the right, also has similar placement. The link no longer has the image up - but that's where it's from originally. The fashion plate is from 1919.