Featured Auction lot of "antique" clothing, can you help me out with any info?

Hello all! I pick up these items at auction for only $5 CAD. They are not in great condition and in need of a good clean. I thought I would rescue them, but know very little about them. No. 1 (black jacket and neck piece) and 2 (pale blue dress) look Edwardian to me, No. 3 (pink dress) I have no idea. My questions are; are these actually old items or modern "reenactment" type garments? what are the fabrics? what eras do you think they are from? No 2. has a zipper which I know is more modern but I have a feeling it was added at a later date. No. 3 has metal snap closures at the side. Any advice as to how to clean any more them would also be appreciated. I have more images, I reached my max here!. Thanks a lot

 

Hard to assess the black jacket from photographs but the separate piece is called a dickey. The blue dress is Edwardian and the fabric looks like sateen but, again, hard to tell from photographs. Given era, the zipper would be an add-on. Is it metal or plastic? The pink dress with the ruffled sleeves is a bit later, 1930s. Would have had a bias-cut under slip in pink. The fabric looks like voile or lawn. Both are modest pieces and appear to be home made. Not sure how much time you want to spend to "rescue" them.

Debora

 

For five bucks I'd have been on them too. I'd have figured on 1910-ish for the blue dress too, and 1930s for the pink one. That may even have been someone's wedding gown. Not everyone wore white, back then. The bullion decoration on the blue dress was originally bright metallic, probably silver. No clue on the black piece, but it's the oldest of the bunch.

 

Thanks Debora, much appreciated! I will likely not, perhaps I will see if someone else would like them who is willing to "rescue". The zipper on the blue one is metal, the zip itself is plastic. I think I can see where buttons would have been before the zipper.

 

Thanks! Yes I couldn't leave them, nobody wanted them. Surprisingly, the black jacket is in the best condition of the bunch.

 

If it was mourning clothing it may have gotten the least usage.

 

Agree the black piece is the oldest. Not sure what this means "The zipper on the blue one is metal, the zip itself is plastic." Could you clarify?

Debora

 

Sorry, I mean the teeth of the zip appear to be plastic, the zipper pull is metal.

 

Plastic zippers weren't introduced until the late 1960s. Before that, they were all metal.

Debora

 

[QUOTE="Elen Beattie, post: 4403747, member: 18081"I think I can see where buttons would have been before the zipper.[/QUOTE]
I think I can too. Plus where 2 darts in the front waist of the black bodice (I don’t think it’s a jacket) were let out on either side to suit a modern figure. There’s probably similar signs on the back. Same with the blue. The zipper didn’t just make it easier to get in and out of - it meant a critical extra inch and a half at the waist. Note where the trim at the back waist fails to meet.

I hope you find someone who will appreciate them properly.

I don’t believe these are garments made by reinactors; the fabric damage appears more consistent with age, and alterations made for fit and ease of costume change knowing they wouldn’t be looked at up close. I think these are vintage - and in the case of the black, possibly antique - garments acquired by a drama department/theater group or something similar.

Granted, there are reinactors short on time and knowledge, and sloppy reinactors, but generally speaking a reinactor would do the period thing and try to hide the signs of alterations, and would know better than to add that zipper.

 

Oh, and when in doubt, there’s always the burn test, used by reinactors everywhere to determine whether or not a fabric is synthetic. Take a thread from the fabric, and apply a lighter or match from the maximum distance that produces an effect. Synthetics will melt, natural fibers will smolder and burn.

 

Since the pieces appear to be period, I'll guess that this is a replacement zipper added around the time that plastic zippers made their appearance. I don't remember ever seeing a plastic zipper with a metal pull. I think the pull is called a "tongue" -- that word just popped in from childhood memories of talking to my mother, a longtime seamstress. Are you sure the teeth are plastic?

 

Hmm, not totally sure- I will take a closer look.

 

Thanks for all the input and knowledge everyone, this forum really is wonderful!

 

Oh what a lot of goodies for a fiver! I think they are indeed all period pieces! Time frames from others appear to be appropriate!

I'll comment on the pink one. Your's does look circa 1930. My grandmother's wedding dress was very similar although hers was 1920! One layer of sheer pink. Her's was organdy. It had little 3/4 sleeves and was a slight bell shape skirt (similar to Elen's photo). Hers had hooks at the back and a fitted bodice and waist.... with a tier of tiny 2" long ruffles (in the same fabric) that were spaced about 6" apart and spanned to the bottom. I'm certain that she had on a silky/satin like bias cut under item... but it wasn't located with the dress. I have the dress. It is in perfect condition - save that it has turned a very pale barely tinted pink. I have some of the original fabric; so I know what color it had been.

Cheerio,
Leslie

 

Thanks Leslie, how glamorous! Thanks for the info and what a treasure that you still have the dress

 

@Elen Beattie
Thanks Elen, LOL... I don't know about glamorous. Grandma was "proper" but not very fancy. I don't think she ever wore makeup or even much jewelry. BUT, it probably was fairly fashionable for the time. I do have the receipt for the fabric... $13 and some odd cents, which included the waistband I think. Yes, I do think it is special that I still have it. She did love her pillbox hats though! I love all those flowers which probably came from my Great-Grand's garden, as she was still living at home.

I also have my Mum's wedding dress - tea length BLUE (or it was at the time - it's also faded) with white flocking on it. Sweet heart neckline and cap sleeves. She wore a little lace Dutch style cap, pearls and white gloves. Since she proposed to Dad; and she said she wasn't sure that he'd show up - she wasn't about to put things off so he could changed his mind! She said that there wasn't much choice and she bought "off the rack". It was cute on her; although blue was NEVER her favorite color.

Cheerio
Leslie