Lace Dresses, ca. 1915
Watch
GUEST:
I bought them at a couple of estate sales. The one closest to me I bought with my mother, and the one on your side, I bought with my mother-in-law.
APPRAISER:
What drew you to them?
GUEST:
The people I bought them with urged me to buy them. And they were just interestingly made. I had never seen anything made that way, so I bought them.
APPRAISER:
Terrific.
GUEST:
They're pretty.
APPRAISER:
The piece closest to me dates from about 1905.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It is a classic shape. It is made of a tape lace, which is a type of lace. It has a classic high collar from 1905, of course. These wonderful full sleeves, catching at the elbow. It has what we call as a powder pigeon chest. At the time, they were going to be wearing these corsets that threw your body into sort of an S-shaped curve. It would have tilted you forward-- your back back and your forward forward. And it gives you sort of a monobosom, it's very blousy up front. And then long and straight with a lovely, lovely train. It is an afternoon tea gown.
GUEST:
Oh, I thought it might be a wedding dress, but...
APPRAISER:
No, probably not. It's a tea gown. Of course, you had a lot of different changings of clothes during, during the day, so this is an afternoon summer tea gown. It would have had a slip underneath it, just a plain white, white slip. I don't know where this dress was made. It could have been made in America very easily. The piece closest to you is later, about 20 years later. It is what we call Irish crochet, or Irish lace. And things would be shipped over to America and distributed in major cities. This also would have had a slip, as well. And how much did you pay for both of these?
GUEST:
I almost didn't buy this one. My mother said I had to. And I thought it was
a little bit much for $35. So I probably didn't pay much more than that for the other dress.
APPRAISER:
Well, the piece on the left here, it has a waistband that's been changed. It has sort of a big, cotton waistband. But I still think it's going to be,
in the retail market, about $1,000.
GUEST:
Okay, nice.
APPRAISER:
The piece closest to you is not as elaborate as some of the ones we see. It's all handmade. That's not...
GUEST:
Okay, I wondered about that.
APPRAISER:
Absolutely. The ones that are much more expensive have these sort of
three-dimensional quality. So yours is later in the history of Irish lace. It is incredibly wearable. It has a retail value of about $750.
GUEST:
Okay, wow. Yeah!
APPRAISER:
So you did very well.
GUEST:
Thanks, Mom. (both laughing)
Appraisal Details
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