Late 1950s to Early 1960s Red Plaid Cotton Dress- New!

Measurements

Size: Small

Bust: 36 inches + 91 cm

Waist: 27 - 28 inches + 69 - 71 cm

Hips: open

Bodice Length from Outside Shoulder: 15 inches + 38 cm

Total Length from Outside Shoulder: 42 inches + 107 cm 

Zipper Length: none

Hem Length: 5 inches + 13 cm

Seam Allowance: 0.5 inches + 1.25 cm (per side)

Note: Measurements are taken from outside, flat and stretched from seam to seam. This is the maximum size allowable, so please consider individual fit and comfort.

Description

* Lovely late 1950s to early 1960s commercially made dress

* Fabric is shagbark cotton - a nobby weave textured cotton 

* Pattern is a red plaid with black and light red stripes

* Classic silhouette with a fitted waist and full skirt

* Round jewel collar with shirtfront closure from neckline to below the waist

* Red button closure to waist and hook and eye and snaps below

* Bodice has short sleeves with tiny gathers at the waist that looks like it's elasticized but it's rigid 

* Skirt is full with knife pleats 

 * Unlined, pinked seams with handstitched hem

* Label reads Lanz Originals

Lanz was started in Salzburg, Austria in 1922, by Josef Lanz and Fritz Mahler to supply traditional costumes for Austrians attending the Salzburg music festival. They noted their costumes were also bought by tourists (Americans) traveling to Austria in the 1920s and early 1930s.

In the mid 1930s, Josef Lanz left Austria, leaving the company there in the hands of other family members, and went to New York, where he opened a new branch of the business in 1936. About this time the hallmark Lanz heart appeared on Lanz labels. After the war, Lanz expanded their business to create fashions that were inspired by traditional Austrian folkwear, but followed the lines of current fashions.

Lanz of California was established in the 1940s, and they began to manufacture Austrian-inspired clothing in the US. By the early 1950s, the Lanz of California label was owned by Nornie and Werner Scharff, and the European and American companies were totally independent of one another. Their chief designer was Nornie Scharff, and she and Werner spent a great deal of time each year in Europe buying fabrics. By 1978, there were two Lanz companies in the US, Lanz Originals, which was still making dresses, and Lanz of Salzburg, a sleepwear maker. Around 2001, Lanz Originals stopped production.

The USA label seems to have changed in 1956, and a copyright date was put on that label. The 1957 date has been found on garments dating to the early 1960s, so please note that the copyright seems to be for the label design, not for the actual garment. (Courtesy of the Vintage Fashion Guild)

Condition 

Excellent. 

No notable flaws that I can see - a tiny bit of crushing to the velvet but hard to notice due to its lustre and a couple of loose threads. It's really in wonderful condition for its age. The coat is beautifully finished and can almost be worn with the lurex on the outside.

Please note that these are vintage items that have been used and loved over the years, As such, they may display slight evidence of their age. Any notable flaws above and beyond this will be highlighted here.

Comment 

Incredibly beautiful dress set designed to stand out. A true Hollywood ensemble fit to be worn by the stars.  Please drop us a line if you require additional information about this listing.

Shop Policies

COVID-19

Unfortunately, the pandemic has resulted in a backlog of parcels worldwide. Our local Postal Service continues to operate at increased capacity and assures us that packages will arrive at their destination, albeit with a noticeably longer timeframe.

We now offer an alternate express delivery service via DHL for those of you who want your packages more expediently. This option is currently delivering packages within a seven-day timeframe from pick-up.

Availability
This item is within our selling stock. In the unlikely event that two buyers purchase this item concurrently, payment will be immediately refunded to the latter purchaser. We apologise in advance should this rare circumstance arise.

Postage
We make every effort to post your item within 1-3 days of payment. Should a circumstance arise where we are unable to post within this timeframe (eg we are away at a fair) we will contact you immediately. Please note that our postage charges are based on standard international and domestic air packages - all with tracking. If you want to upgrade to express postage or require insurance, please contact us prior to checkout and we will adjust the rates accordingly.

LayBys/Layaways
Yes we do offer flexible layby/layaway options and are open to negotiation as to the time period. Obviously, the more expensive the item the longer the time you will have to finalise payment. Contact us to see how accommodating we can be :)

Alterations
Obviously, as these are one- off pieces, the fit may not be quite what you need. To this end, we also offer an alteration service by professional seamstresses. Please shoot us an email outlining what you want and we will quickly respond with a quote and timeframe. Costs are kept to a minimum for this service.

Special Orders
If you are looking for something that you don't currently find in our shop - let us know we may be able to help you with a special listing!

Photography
Our photos are taken with a mix of studio and ambient lighting. Whilst we take care with the colour balance of our photos, individual computer monitors register colours differently depending on their calibration. If you want the exact colour shade drop us a line and we will give you the Universal Pantone colours that match the item.