Friday, September 12, 2008

That 70's Dress

Tie-neck dress, thrifted and shortened. Vest, Old Navy. Peeptoe pumps, Mossimo. Feathered headband, Forever 21. Golden half-hoop earrings, thrifted. Golden belt, swap.

I’ve put in hours of thrifting to costume post-apocalyptic MacBeth. So much so, that I’m sick to death of shopping. Before I became completely disgusted with digging through racks of clothes, I found this beauty of a dress for myself. It was a wee bit frumpy until I hacked the bottom few inches off.







I'm no purveyor of fine vintage clothing, but I suspect this is fairly old. The only tag labels the garment as a size 9…but the accompanying belt was not nearly large enough to encircle my waist. There is no brand label or fiber content tag. The fabric feels like some sort of synthetic and cotton blend. The buttons are made of natural material (most likely shell). The raw edges of the inner seams are pinked instead of finished with a serger. There is no lining. What’s your guess as to the dress’ era?

19 comments:

kiran said...

gorgeous and so jealous! and no idea about the era...maybe it was custom made/self made?

Sheila said...

The synthetic blend and the style leads me to think possibly late 50s, but more likely it's from the early to mid-60s. Serging is a fairly recent development.

I would also guess it's been made from a pattern or else it's a very small manufacturer.

Very pretty! I like the outfit.

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

um, post-apocolyptic.

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

sorry, spelled that wrong. just joking. maybe it was homemade. oh yeah, you said there was a size tag.

Tara said...

I would say late 70s if not early 80s. I know a lot of my elementary school teachers wore dresses like that. There was no lining and you could always see the bra silhouette.

April said...

I was going to say I would guess it's handmade since the edges are not serged and pinking shears were used. But I love the dress and the outfit!

grace said...

I'm thinking mid-70s. How long was it originally? That may be a clue.

Kasmira said...

The length was just below the knee.

clsoetofsara said...

I'm lovin this on you! I discovered your blog last night, and went through every day you've posted. Totally addicted, and I'm inspired to create my own now :)

raven said...

It looks like much of my mom's wardrobe in the early '80s. I would guess late '70s to early '80s.
BTW, you look especially fantastic in that second shot.

JR said...

I too would say 70's, though I bought a dress at a vintage store labeled "40's or 50's dress" with many of the same characteristics (pinking, special buttons, no lining, no detailed label) so it could possibly be even older.

Katy said...

I'd say 70's or 50's, but I'm no expert. However, I do declare it fabulous and I love love love your outfit!

mad-scientist said...

That is a very charming outfit, i really love the shoes!
I have a question for you - how does one wear an obi belt - as in, tie, fasten etc.

bekster said...

My first impression before I got a good look at the outfit was "Princess." I guess the headband resembles a tiara in the photos. Very pretty.

I'd guess the dress is 70's/80's. Any older than that and I would think the fabric would be pretty worn, especially with no lining. Also, with the dress that light, over that much time there should be stains. However, my whole theory wouldn't work if the dress had barely been worn before (although I can't imagine someone having it and not wearing it). :)

John said...

your blog is the cutest.

Dot said...

I have no idea what era it's from bit I LOVE it. I must try thrifting one of these days.

Londyn said...

Love that dress! What a find!

Askew To You said...

I'm guessing late 70s, early 80s because of style. My mom wore tops with the same sort of sleeve and neck tie.

Unknown said...

I agree with the 70s-80s assessment. I also LOVE this look. In the first picture you look so cute and spunky. I also love the half hoop earrings with this look.