20s Vintage Chiffon Dress & Jacket Set Art Deco Floral Print VFG
These 20s chiffon dresses are lighter than air, and this one is a lovely example. It does not come with a slip, but it does have a jacket! The dress is a classic for the 1920s - sleeveless, gentle vee-neck, drop waist bodice that is minimally shaped through the torso, six rounded top gores with handkerchief hem. The jacket is straight cut with long sleeves and an ascot-style neckline, attached in back and turning into a scarf in front that can hang loose or be softly tied. Black faggotted stitching that forms a vee on the upper back and the tops of both sleeves allows the red lining to peek through in a decorative way.
I have shown the dress with both a black slip and a red slip underneath to illustrate how you can shift the color story depending on your undergarment - white or pink would take it in another direction!
SIZE: No size label - in considering measurements, keep in mind that the dress currently has no snaps, buttons, or zippers. It will need to slip on over your head.
| Measurements | Inches | Cm |
| Dress bust | 41" | 104 |
| Dress approximate natural waist | 41" | 104 |
| Dress hips | 43" | 109 |
| Dress bodice length from shoulder seam to dropwaist/top of gore | 25" | 63.5 |
| Skirt length | 17 - 24" | 43 - 61 |
| Sweep | 140" | 356 |
| Jacket, bust with front edges approximated | 38" | 96.5 |
| Jacket shoulders | 14.5" | 37 |
| Jacket sleeves | 24" | 61 |
| Jacket length from back of neck | 23" | 58.5 |
| Jacket scarf length/s | L: 21" R: 26" | L: 53cm R: 66 cm |
FABRIC/COLORS: Chiffon crepe in an oversized deco-style floral print using pink, dark red and white against a black background. The jacket is lined in a lighter red chiffon crepe. Seams are all closed to prevent fraying, so I can't snip from a seam for a fiber burn test - based on the feel and comparing it to other 20s chiffons confirmed as silk, I believe these are silks as well.
TAGS: No tags
CLOSURES: N/A, the dress slips on over the head
CONDITION: No issues noted with the jacket.
Dress: Very wearable with care, but several small flaws. An inch of fray at the left side seam near bottom of the bodice - see closeup #1. A small 3 sided tear right side of bodice about an inch behind sideseam near natural waist- see closeup #2. A 2 sided tear to the front bodice near right sideseam just above top of skirt - see closeup #3. A small fray near the skirt hem on the right - see closeup #4. And an area less than an inch of missing hem stitching near the right sideseam - see closeup #5.
There are currently three rows of horizontal pintuck stitching on either side of the bodice between waist and hips - there were originally four rows, but the bottom row was removed on each side at some point. The needle marks are still visible if you look closely - see closeup #6.
I measure the outside of garments, unless stated otherwise.
For menswear, the chest is measured at armpit level.
For womenswear, the bust is measured a little below armpit level, including the room created by darts or gathers.
Waist will be measured if there is one, and hips are measured about 9" below waist level. Sleeves are measured from shoulder seam or an approximation in the absence of a shoulder seam. Garment length is measured from the back of the neck, unless otherwise stated.
The measurement numbers refer to the garment, not the body inside. For best fit, measure a similar type of garment which fits you well and compare.
If the garment is shown on Josephine, my mannequin, her measurements are 31/24.5/34". Sometimes she wears a padded bra. My live models measurements vary depending on the day and year, and I don't ask them to share that.