dating (40s?) Adrian suits and proper storage?

Robin of Frocksley

Robin of Frocksley

Registered Guest
I am incredibly lucky to have been given some of my husband's grandmother's clothing.

She was very "fortunate" and her things are beautiful. These three suits were in my closet for years before I learned about Gilbert Adrian (and promptly freaked out lol)!

I would love some help confirming that they are from the 40s, afraid I don't have a small enough dress form for them but hopefully the details in the tailoring will be obvious.

Even more pressing, I have been keeping them hung (on wooden hangers). Would they be better stored flat?

Thanks so much for any help!

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I see mid to late 1940s. Like Jonathan said.....the length of the skirts will be helpful in pinning down a more exact date.

WOW that you have all of these! Most of us are fortunate to find only 1 or 2 in a lifetime.

They look to be in excellent condition as well. If they were mine I would store them flat, each in its own box. Or the jackets on a very well padded hanger, covered in white sheeting and the skirts laying flat in boxes. with something to repel moths and critters of course.
 
Just curious. Is the last suit, the light colored one, made of a slubbed/raw type of silk or is it made of linen? the buttons look like a gold metal, shaped like a piece of bamboo? Si I am guessing this is silk.

t is so nice to see these! What a treat.

Looking forward to possibly seeing the skirts.
 
Jonathan said:
He was only in business from 1942 to 1952, and he wasn't a fan of the New Look, so his stuff tends to look very much the same for the entire decade. Length of skirt helps as the longer hems are 1947-1952
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Hi, Jonathan!

Here is a (terrible) pic of me in the navy suit (forgive the poor lighting/dusty mirror) which might help show the length of the skirts. For reference, I am petite (5'2" or 5'3"ish).

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Thanks for your help!
 
Rue_de_la_Paix said:
I see mid to late 1940s. Like Jonathan said.....the length of the skirts will be helpful in pinning down a more exact date.

WOW that you have all of these! Most of us are fortunate to find only 1 or 2 in a lifetime.

They look to be in excellent condition as well. If they were mine I would store them flat, each in its own box. Or the jackets on a very well padded hanger, covered in white sheeting and the skirts laying flat in boxes. with something to repel moths and critters of course.
Click to expand...

Hi, Barbara!

Thanks for the storage advice!! Off to find appropriate boxes..
 
Rue_de_la_Paix said:
Just curious. Is the last suit, the light colored one, made of a slubbed/raw type of silk or is it made of linen? the buttons look like a gold metal, shaped like a piece of bamboo? Si I am guessing this is silk.

t is so nice to see these! What a treat.

Looking forward to possibly seeing the skirts.
Click to expand...

The beige suit is made of linen and the buttons are shaped like bamboo! such wonderful detailing
 
Lose the wooden hanger.

Use a padded fabric hanger, or store it flat.

You don't need a fancy box. Just a pillow case.

Definitely avoid regular boxes and tissue paper, as anything made of wood will destroy the fibers over time, that includes wooden shelving! Archival boxes and tissue are super expensive. And really, you don't need it.

You can use clean, 100% cotton pillowcases, washed and dried in unscented detergent and without fabric softener.

Clothes do better gently rolled than folded, as you don't get those hard-to-remove crease lines (this is true for packing a suitcase, as well).

If you store items in a cedar chest, cedar closet, or wooden closet shelves, don't let the garments touch the wood and be sure to rewash any protective pillow cases now and then (about every 6 months or so).

I use Nuvan strips in sealed closets to prevent vermin (moths are the obvious thing, but it's carpet beetles that actually do the most damage, especially down here in Atlanta). I also use small, rechargeable dehumidifiers (Atlanta is a challenging place to keep clothing alive).

Avoid plastic bags and storage boxes except for short-term (travel, etc.). Clothes need to breathe.
 
You are so lucky! Those are very, very nice. And I second the stoarge suggestiobs so far. If you want to hang them, a non perfuned padded hanger woudl work, then pad the skirt hanger clips for the skirt. And you coudl use a washed pillowcase with a hole at the top for a dust cover over them.
 
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