Exercise 1.1 The archive
I began to research archives online, due to our current lockdown situation no archives are currently open to view a collection. I was finding it difficult to feel inspired or have a connection with a photo online. I wanted to be able to see the item in person, maybe touch it and see it from every different angle. So, after a few attempts of trailing the internet I abandoned this idea. I remembered the family had some clothing we had kept that belonged to my late grandmothers and my sister had some vintage clothing. This meant I could have the experience of visiting my own personal archive.
There were not many items to choose between so, I picked the items that were aesthetically appealing to me.
1970's Jumper
The first item I picked was a long-sleeved khaki jumper with 4 clubs on the front in peach, terracotta and cream. The jumper is long sleeved, with a round neck and is short in the body. Unfortunately, there is no manufactures labels to give me any information on the item.
It has clearly been made by machine made due to the tight stitches and the way the clubs have been added to the pattern as you can see the banding of stitches through the inside. There is some interesting stitch work around the neck line which looks like it was probably also done by machine. There is also one small label with B6 printed on, I have tried to research what this might mean but I have been unable to find out any information. Perhaps it was in relation to the design for the manufacture.
Having very little information to go on from the piece itself I had to do my own research on the item, I spoke to my mother who believes it was bought in a store called Warnellas in New Malden in the 1970's. I believe the piece is in keeping with the 1970’s, it skims the top of the trouser waistband, it is all very tight fitting but not to revealing. I can imagine it being worn with high waisted wide leg trouser, as seen in the image below from a catalogue in the 1970's.
It shows very little wear in the item, with just two loose threads where the label would have been. The jumper being wool should be ideally be stored in clean, white cotton cloth to prevent damage from moisture condensation.
Corde' Bead Purse
The next piece was a beautiful Corde' bead purse by Lumured. It has a body of crocheted white fabric, with wisps of metallic gold thread, the lining is made of rayon. It is covered in clear, round beads, giving this bag texture and dimension. It has a sturdy handle with metal hinges that doubles as a clasp.
Researching the bag, I have found the same bag for sale online and it is listed as a 1950's bag. I believe this to be accurate looking at other Corde’ bead bags from that era.
With the age of the piece I would have expected some of the beads to have come loose or fallen off, but this does not appear to be the case, I have looked over it several times, but I cannot work out how the beads have been attached. There are a few loose strands of cotton from the crochet material, the gold thread is all still intact. The quality of the item may be due to the way in which it has been stored. It has been stored flat in a cupboard, without any items on top that could damage the bead work.
I had not heard of corde and wanted to find out what it meant I found this definition online. Corde definition is - cord that is usually covered with silk or rayon and used especially for crocheting handbags.
I was shocked at how little information I could find out about the bag online. There was very little information about the designer or the bags that they created. There was an abundance of corde bead bags online for sale, which implies they were mass produced in their era.
Unlike the previous piece there is no back story to this item, I don’t know who the original owner, where it was bought and what it was used for. You can an only image with the style of the bag and its different marks in the lining that it may have been used for a wedding or a elegant party to finish off a beautiful dress.
1970's Maxi Dress
My final item I picked was a 1970s black maxi dress, with a small V-neck and napkin sleeves. There is striped edging on the sleeves. The body of the dress is made up of two sections the bodice and then the skirt of the dress. On the bodice there are two darts to help fit the dress nicely to the body. There is a slit up to the knee at the back of the dress. The seams have been joined and finished with an interlocker and the zip has been hidden with a small panel along the bag of the dress.
The finish of dress and the fact that the pieces were made to be sold in department stores leads me to believe that the piece is machine made. There are two labels in the dress at the back of the neck line one with the designer label, stating the Shubette of London and that the dress is made in England. Attached to the designer’s label is a care label. This has helped me to confirm the date of the dress as these were not introduced until 1971, which means the dress must have been made after this time. The label also confirms that the dress is made of polyester and the dress should be cared for by either handwashing or dry cleaning.
Unfortunately, the dress has not been stored correctly and at some point, has been stored in a damp place which has caused mould at the bottom of the dress. The piece should be kept in a breathable garment bag before storing, ensure piece is clean before storing, use padded hangers so the garment doesn’t get distorted or damaged and keep garments away from sunlight as it fades and weakens fabric.
I had no history for the dress, I only know that my sister bought it from a vintage store several years ago for a wedding. It would be nice to know when the dress was originally purchased to determine the year it was made and the history behind the dress, why had the original buyer purchase the dress. I wish each vintage item could tell its story as I bet it would have some great stories to tell, the places it had visited and the things it has seen. I always think that the item must have been really special and loved to have survived so long and not to have been thrown away.
As, I had no history for the dress I did some research on the designer. Shubette is a London based family business started in 1913 by Jack Offenbach. They designed, produced and supplied fashion to British department stores, and concentrated mainly on special-occasion items for ladies’ fashion. They were renowned for their little black party dresses, as well as their beautifully detailed and elegant dresses.
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