Random question what age is this vintage dress?

[stayathomegardener]

I was given this dress about 20 years ago but no nothing about it.

The local auction house thinks it may be around 1915 and possibly a christening dress.

I'm not convinced as can just about squeeze into it.

I'd love to know more about its history if anyone has an interest in vintage fashion.

It looks regency style to me (Jane Austen) but I doubt if it's original as the colours are too vivid. More likely a theatre costume.

I also thought christening dress as I used to have a similar one in a cream silk. It would have been very, very long on a baby but I gather that was the thing. I used to wear it sometimes, back to front with all the fasteners undone. (I was about 20 with no shoulders hips or boobs.)

An auctioneer would date it better than me but my mum had some photos of her cousins as babies/toddlers, taken around the end of WW1 (or possibly early 1920s) and they all dressed like that - male and female. I don't know the occasion but you only had your photo taken then for something special so a christening would fit.

I have my grandma’s christening robe, which she would have worn late 1905/early 1906 and it looks similar. Not sure if it would have been new for her, but she always said that her grandma sewed it for her as her mum was ill for a long time after her birth. Even my own, from the late 50s is a similar style, but not silk. Was worn by all my siblings, male and female.

Would the head hole not be too big for a baby?

That's a point. But I think sometimes children weren't christened at birth or at least there wasn't a big ceremony until they were a bit older. Plus there may well have been some kind of jacket/over garment worn with it.

If it's really too big even for a toddler then another possibility could be Whit Walks.

It could be a replica of course but I would imagine most auctioneers would have picked up on that. How does it fasten?

As PP asked, how does it fasten?

Pretty sure it's not a christening dress. As much as they were very long, the body part on them is tiny and no older baby or child, let alone an adult, even a small one, would get it anywhere near them (we have two Victorian family christening dresses, shame we have no children ha ha). Also I understand babies were christened a.s.a.p. just in case...

Yeah they were often baptised (religiously) asap but the actual christening ceremony was sometimes held much later, e.g. if dad was away at war. This is just what I remember from my mum and great aunts so it's anecdotal and I can't say how widespread it was - may have been just temporary during WW1.

Like I said, I used to be able to get into one as long as it was left unfastened cos it had a very long line of hooks and eyes.

I do think the Whit Walks are another possibility. I'm not sure how widespread they were either but again, going on my mum's old photos, small kids got very dressed up for them.

I’m only looking it on my phone but I’d say the trimming doesn’t look very old. Doesn’t match the style of the dress. Like a pp, I’d say it migh have been a costume.

Hard to say from a photo but just from the hemming and stitching around the zip I think it’s been made or modified much more recently than 1915. Costume is my guess.

Right I'd assumed it fastened with hooks and eyes. I can't see closely enough to tell but if it's a zip then that makes it more modern although it could have been adapted.

Hmmm maybe you’re right about the fastening. Either way looks very machined esp the hem.

No way that cut around the chest is for a christening gown!

Hey replies! Thank you.

Managed to only post a picture of the back of the dress and then the other images wouldn't load.

Will try and post more.

I have taken it to an auction house and they said possibly christening gown around 1910.

I didn't like to mention that I've tried it on, obviously I couldn't move my arms very well but it's definitely not made for a baby or young child.

No way that cut around the chest is for a christening gown!

Yeah, it does seem unlikely.

I've got a Victorian christening gown. I could only just squeeze DD in to it at 11 weeks old, though it would have been at least knee length on me... If the OP can get in it, it's not going to be a christening gown.

No idea on age however I'm afraid OP! Lovely though.

Could it be a communion dress?

Is it hand or machine sewn? If machine sewn, it's unlikely to be particularly old. If hand sewn, it's unlikely to be modern, although some people obviously do still hand sew. Also, can you tell what fabric it is?

I agree that Christening gown isn't at all likely. It does look machined around the hem. Could it just be a homemade dress in the style of regency fashion/similar?

My mother made one or two in the 1970's that looked a bit like that for parties and so on.

I would say that it wasn't a First Communion dress, because of the low cut neck, and the coloured braid. I'm wondering if it's a bridesmaid's dress?

Hell this is really bugging me now Did the auctioneer comment on the size or say why they thought christening dress? Guess I'm just a bit surprised they would get it so wrong. Did they say what the fabric was?

Could it have been altered? That was pretty common - I've had dresses that have been let out (seams were far more generous then) or collars added/taken off, or made into a skirt.

It looks very like a bridesmaid dress I wore in the 1970s

This is so frustrating I can't post any images, which would I'm sure help.

We are very rural and WiFi is patchy at best but will keep trying.

Definitely hand sewn.

What material is it made of, and what type of zip is it?

Front

I have a friend who does reenactments. They hand sew all their stuff and this looks like the kind of tho f she would wear to a regency event.

It's definitely not original Georgian.