40s floral cotton blouse

[retro ruth]

If styles are repeated in different decades, for example 40s styles in the 80s, how do you tell? I am baffled by how some here were able to just look at my blouses and tell they are 80s. It's kind of making me question everything, LOL.

I think it's partly experience. The more garments you have handled, the more you easily you can tell.

But I wasn't sure about your first blouse - I did think it was later, but I wasn't sure. That one for me was mostly about the print. It just didn't quite look like a 40s floral to me, and I'm not even quite sure how I know that. The buttons might be older than 80s, but they don't really look as old as 40s. Of course it's hard to tell much by buttons, because they are so easy to replace.

Similarly the grey leaf print didn't looks 40s, although I'd have wanted a close up to be sure. The lace one, is quite simple in construction, 40s clothes tend to be more detailed, eg more darts etc. Not a hard and fast rule of course.

And the fabric and print on the blue blouse, looks similar to things that I know were 80s.

Also, if you've lived through a decade (the 80s), you kind of recognise clothes you might have had!

Another 'rule of thumb' for me is that if I look at something and think 'is it 40s or 80s?' I remind myself it's more likely to be 80s, because there's just so much more 80s stuff around! So I start from 80s, and only if I find something that really screams 40s, would I assume it's older.

 

[plousia]

Thank you, that's very helpful! I used to think 80s clothes were very obvious, but apparently some styles, not so much. The "assume 80s rule" is a very good one.

I feel quite silly now but hopefully my mistakes will be helpful to others! I certainly appreciate the guidance I've gotten here.

 

[Ranch Queen Vintage]

That's it!!
I knew "zig-zag" was actually wrong when I typed it but I couldn't think of the proper name for that stitch. I used to use it for hemming dresses, though, not as a seam finish.

Yes, exactly - using it as a a means to prevent unraveling of the raw edge is a bit odd. Pinked seams or a simple zig zag stitch would have been a more obvious choice.

 

[Ranch Queen Vintage]

Thank you, that's very helpful! I used to think 80s clothes were very obvious, but apparently some styles, not so much. The "assume 80s rule" is a very good one.

I feel quite silly now but hopefully my mistakes will be helpful to others! I certainly appreciate the guidance I've gotten here.

Please don't feel silly! We are here to help and learn. I learn something new on these forums daily, and I've been handling vintage clothing for 50 years!

 

[bycinbyhand]

Here's a couple more pics of the "serging" showing how uneven it is. Does anyone know what this stitch is called? I tried searching for it but haven't found anything that looks quite like it.

That's a blanket stitch.

 

[bycinbyhand]

Here's a bunch of pics of the interior seaming and construction. I think the buttonholes may be done by hand, not sure.

Can't convince anyone, I'm still quite certain it's earlier, but if anyone has a definitive reason why it's 80s I'd love to know. I've seen a lot of similar florals and colour schemes online on 40s garments, in fact it's pretty much the same colour scheme as a 40s dress I have, just larger-scale.

I still think - from what I've seen in the photos, what I know about clothing and how it's put together, as well as color ways for the different eras - that this is in the 70s/80s cusp. You are, though holding it, and if you solidly think it's 40s then so it is. We're just trying to help not be convinced. lol Good luck with this. It IS very cute.

 

[bycinbyhand]

Thanks. The serging is hand done, not machine; is it still more recent than 40s? (The stitch I mean, not the blouse). I found that stitch particularly interesting as I'd never seen it before. (I should say, it appears to be hand sewn; it doesn't look even enough to be done by machine and it doesn't look like any serging I've ever seen before).

That blanket stitch isn't something I've seen a lot on 40s blouses... I've seen more finished French seams on that era's blouses, from commercially made to home sewn. My grandmother used it when making clothing with fabric that might fray and if the seam was narrower than a standard 5/s" seam. This would've been 50s-70s in her case.

 

[plousia]

I still think - from what I've seen in the photos, what I know about clothing and how it's put together, as well as color ways for the different eras - that this is in the 70s/80s cusp. You are, though holding it, and if you solidly think it's 40s then so it is. We're just trying to help not be convinced. lol Good luck with this. It IS very cute.

I'm now convinced [that it's 80s, that is]! LOL. And a bit humbled by the breadth of my ignorance. I obviously still have a lot to learn! I still like the blouse and will be keeping/wearing it. It's a bit OTT but I do like colourful florals.

I so appreciate everyone's helpfulness and patience here with a newbie.

 

[Midge]

Just gong to say re. sewing machines and stitches... I use my grandma's sewing machine from the early-mid 60s. It has that blind hem stitch, but as far as I know, that was a new thing then. Also, it's totally possible to produce uneven stitches with a machine like that. Like others said, if the thread tension isn't set correctly, or if for some reason the fabric isn't transported correctly and the sewer is trying to pull the fabric... I guess today's modern machines almost sew things on their own, but the old strictly mechanical ones give you a lot of leeway. My mom's machine that I learned sewing on in the 80s and those at school were newer, but still your basic non-computerised machine on which you could get things nicely wrong and wonky ...

 

[plousia]

Just gong to say re. sewing machines and stitches... I use my grandma's sewing machine from the early-mid 60s. It has that blind hem stitch, but as far as I know, that was a new thing then. Also, it's totally possible to produce uneven stitches with a machine like that. Like others said, if the thread tension isn't set correctly, or if for some reason the fabric isn't transported correctly and the sewer is trying to pull the fabric... I guess today's modern machines almost sew things on their own, but the old strictly mechanical ones give you a lot of leeway. My mom's machine that I learned sewing on in the 80s and those at school were newer, but still your basic non-computerised machine on which you could get things nicely wrong and wonky ...

Yes I learned to sew in the early 90s on a 50s machine (which I still have). I wonder if my hatred of sewing was partly because the machine just isn't that easy to use. Anything I made with it would by definition only use older techniques and stitches. It does do zigzag but with a separate attachment, same for button holes, and that's about it.

 

[Midge]

Mine's a Husqvarna 2000 with the special extra stitch feature - can also be used for extra decorative stitches, but I just use the implement for the "useful" stuff, she also has a basic overlock and basic elastic stitch.

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

Here's a couple more pics of the "serging" showing how uneven it is. Does anyone know what this stitch is called? I tried searching for it but haven't found anything that looks quite like it.

this looks more like uneven thread tension rather than hand stitching.

sorry to disappoint, but i agree that it is not 1940s, but later and homemade.

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

Yes I do look at patterns, the commercial pattern archive is a gold mine, but now I am really confused about that as well. If styles are repeated in different decades, for example 40s styles in the 80s, how do you tell? I am baffled by how some here were able to just look at my blouses and tell they are 80s. It's kind of making me question everything, LOL.

another thing making it difficult to date is that quite a few sewists use vintage patterns.