WHAT A FIND! ....and you are not going to find too many nighties going back to the 1950s that are kept this well. It's almost like new and details that are out of this world. The older the vintage, the more you will find workmanship that amazes you and details to delight. Because dark colors, especially red, are difficult to photograph, I feel I have not done justice to the beauty of this item, but you will fall in love with it when you see it and hold it in your hands! It almost looks like a prom dress--it's that pretty and full and flattering in its waltz/ballerina length. The bodice is shirred at shoulders & plushly shirred at bustline in a fan of vertical shirring down to the inserted midriff, where you then find gorgeous horizontal ruching in a cumberbund effect. All this is in double sheer nylon chiffon and it drapes in goddess style. The bust and midriff have a pretty little embellishment of narrow curling and raffia type nylon streamers for a darling effect. The neckline is V'd in front and back for the ultimate glamour and very much in the style that Marilyn Monroe liked to wear in a neckline.This is double layer nylon with double layer sheer chiffon nylon down to the waist and then sheer nylon overlayer and semi-opaque nylon underlayer. At the bottom 5 inches of the gown all around is a beautiful detail on the sheer outer layer that makes this look very expensive, as the construction is that of the finest of lingerie. Inside is one of the early SHADOWLINE cloth double labels with pink and black on white and on the reserve side of label is only the number 38 (for bust size). This label is in the side seam.
BUST stated 38 can go to 40 as well
WAIST ~ 31 inches
HIPS ~ very flexible and up to 48/50 inches.
SWEEP ~ about 104 inches~~that's very nice in a waltz length
LENGTH ~ 41 inches
CONDITION: Excellent and like it was put away and never used. I do need to mention that on the inside of the cumberbund area where the little safety pin attaches the outer decorative curly streamer detail, there are a couple of spots that came from the pin's aging. They cannot, of course, be seen from the outside and I believe they will wash right out. Vintage lingerie often used tiny safety pins to attach special decorative items, so this is not uncommon. I would simply wash the gown and add a new shiny safety pin on the inside to hold the outer decorative streamer. This is otherwise in fantastically beautiful condition and reminds me almost of a prom dress since it is so pretty. Fabric is smoke-free and odor free.
