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Circa: 1930
Condition: Excellent
Size: Small
Type: Silk Chiffon/Silk
Manufacturer: Handmade
I think my favorite dresses of all time are the little chiffon lovelies (thanks Janine, for that term!) from the early 1930s. This one in particular is really pretty. Ecru with a yellow and green overall floral print, this pattern, like most of this style dress, doesn't jump out and overwhelm you.
I love the styling.
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One of the main thing one learns about design is that the differences in designers & decades are the way that the fullness of fabric (that needs to be there to account for various parts of the body) is accomplished. One period might use smocking, another, darts, another bias cutting. The thirties is the era of controlling fullness with a beautiful and body-hugging bias cut. This dress is a prime example, and goes a step or two further by shirring in additional fullness in various places to make even a better fit. (Shirring is just taking a few stitches to make the fabric hang the way you want it to). With this dress you almost get the feeling that the designer/constructor built this dress right on the body of a person! Its lovely in the way that it hugs the body, falls around the hips and then drapes beautifully to the handkerchief hem. Many of the dresses of this era used the uneven hem as a design element, and this one is particularly pretty (and flirty) because its not heavy but falls lightly around the calf of the leg.
The V-neck is commonly used in this period also and this neckline sports a self-fabric flower which gives a demure look but doesn't overwhelm. I love the sleeve of this dress! Fitted at the shoulder, it forms snuggly to the upper arm and ends in a soft ruffle which would hit close to the elbow. The front of the dress is constructed much like the wedding dresses of the turn of the century, with a panel in the front. This allows for the side pieces to be cut bias and therefore give a little stretch for fullness. There is a dropped waist band sewn into the dress,(at least on the sides).
The dress is made of silk chiffon, and in excellent condition. There is no slip under--and you will need one. (You need a one piece short, body hugging undergarment, as the chiffon is quite transparent. I would use one close to your flesh color and without lace at all, as the pattern would compete with the pattern of the dress! ) It is shown here with an off-white slip (not included), which I think also looks nice and deepens the fabric pattern somewhat.
These dresses were all the rage at the end of the twenties into the early thirties. Some were built on the square--in other words, basically made of squares, put together so that the bias--for stretch--was put to the best use. Squares turned to the side like that make a nice and uneven handkerchief hem and was really a pretty and inventive new style at the time and probably originally came from Paris designers. Women in America, though, took the style on and made some amazing adaptations. I love seeing the creativity of these women, especially considering that many made their own clothing, and sometimes with very little resources.
This one is also hand-made, and therefore has no tags. Measurements are:
Bust: 36
Waist: 30
Hips: 40
Underarm to hem: 37"
I have measured loosely and tried to give a little extra for putting the dress on. There is no closure. I would say that this dress can definitely be worn, but gently. That means, be gentle with the fabric, especially when putting the dress on and taking it off. Crossing the arms helps when taking off the garment, and putting it on, one needs to gather the fabric up to the arms and then fit over the head. This is silk chiffon--so I would suggest dry cleaning to keep the dress fresh. It will come to you clean and ready to wear.
It comes with a silk jacket that matches the print of the chiffon--and I will get new photos in soon of it as well as this dress on a mannequin so you can better see the beautiful way this dress drapes.
This little dress is a treasure of American Fashion History and one even Daisy Buchanan would love! |
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