At last a glamorous vintage gown made for a medium to large rather than small to tiny sized lady! This one, which dates from the 1950s, is in aqua satin jacquard with an attractive floral relief pattern and is in a flattering fit and flare style. It has cap sleeves and softly pleated chiffon trim around the neckline with an off-centre chiffon rosette and full length floaty chiffon scarves which can be left trailing or tied in a bow as illustrated. It has a back zip fastening, the bodice is lined in silky acetate and the skirt section is part lined in stiff vilene.

The dress has some flaws which we consider minor for a piece of this age. The chiffon trim around the neckline has a small mark (which is easy to conceal within the pleating) and the delicate trailing chiffon has a few small tears which are barely noticeable. The front section of the original stiffened lining, which is torn, would be better removed and the acetate lining of the bodice is fraying a bit at the bottom. The main body of the dress is still in very good condition and none of these imperfections detracts from wearability in our opinion, but simply add to the dress’s unique charm.

DESIGNER: looks to have been hand made
COLOUR: aqua
FABRIC: satin jacquard and nylon chiffon
CARE: specialist dry clean
CONDITION: very good vintage with some imperfections - see description
SIZE: best fit UK14/16
MEASUREMENTS: underarm-underarm – 20½”, waist – 34”, length – 54”