Need Help with my Traina-Norell gown!

[Jentos]

Hello everyone!

It's my first time posting, so I hope I'm going about this the right way.

I recently found a holy grail of a Traina-Norell gown at a secondhand shop that I've been researching since I purchased it. It is all silk that is completely structurally sound with a faint dark spot on the skirt that you can only really see in the proper lighting. From my research I found that it is from 1958, there is a sister to it in the Met archives that was on display in 1995 for their theme on florals, and the sister dress is also documented on the March 1958 cover of Vogue modeled by Dovima. I saw another, shorter, sister dress in a print ad in a February 1958 copy of Harper's Bazaar.

The dress has no hem. I took a picture of the pinked edges. Under the skirt is a straight skirt with some more pinked hem above it. This led me to believe that this was meant to be a bubble dress. I want to bring this dress back to its intended glory and I don't want to do wrong by it and have it improperly hemmed. What do you guys think? Has anyone else out there seen a Norell like this or have any insight into the construction of this piece?

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[denisebrain]

Norell was doing some very interesting bubble looks in 1958—lots of trial balloons you could say. Would this be possible with your hem?

 

[Jentos]

It looks like the pencil skirt would be exposed right at that level if the top layer were ballooned over it! That's such a great illustration! Was a drop waist like mine typical? It seems so unusual for the time.

It's interesting because it doesn't look like it was ever sewn up into a bubble, even though that would seem to be the intention.

Thank you!

 

[denisebrain]

Nothing about your dress looks typical to me! I would have guessed a totally different era if it weren't for some of the details.

Norell was definitely experimenting at that time. Look at these interesting shapes, all 1958.

 

[Jentos]

This is tremendously helpful! Thank you so much!

Until I searched the Met archives, I had no clue this would be from 1958! It was erroneously labeled "breezy 80s" and when I saw the tag I almost screamed in the store! the inside had a tag that labeled the FRONT of the dress so I knew something was up before I found the T-N label. The colors are so vibrant that it's hard to pinpoint, but I suppose all the Greats were working ahead of trends!

 

[denisebrain]

Yes, the print definitely belies its era to my eye. I hope you will show us when you have done something with the hem?

 

[Jentos]

I will! I have a pretty big collection of fun treasure. I can't wait to share with so many others who share my love of vintage.

 

[GemGem]

Nothing about your dress looks typical to me! I would have guessed a totally different era if it weren't for some of the details.

Gosh me too, I would have guessed 80's if it were not for the info that accompanied it. I'm also really interested to see what else can happen with the hem

 

[Midge]

What a great find! Aren't they always the best when you find a nice surprise like this!

 

[retro ruth]

It's interesting because it doesn't look like it was ever sewn up into a bubble, even though that would seem to be the intention.

I was assuming it had been a bubble, but then someone cut it. Perhaps intending to refashion it, but then they didn't complete the job? Is that possible?

I think if it were mine I would try pinning it, or tacking, the pinked edges together, and see how that looked.