Can you help me date this item??

[Sunny]

The white stone in the middle of one of them is kinda shiny and has a pinkish tint.

The shiny effect can kinda be seen here:

The white stone looks like an opal to me. Very pretty indeed! I'm sorry I can't provide any dating help, except that the lipstick holder could easily be from the 1950s, maybe even 1940s.

That ornamentation style began in the 1940s (I THINK) and it hung on for decades as the conservative alternative to Mod and so forth.

 

[KittyT]

The white stone looks like an opal to me.

That's exactly what I thought.

That ornamentation style began in the 1940s (I THINK) and it hung on for decades as the conservative alternative to Mod and so forth.

It reminds me of a lot of the Coro costume jewelry from that same time period.

 

[Vintage Betty]

LauraChase - two references found already. Hoping to post info in a week or less.

Tinseltown - will provide info also in a week or less, if no one else steps forward.

Cheers-

VB

 

[Tinseltown]

Vintage Betty, Thanks a lot!!

 

[Miss 1929]

That's 30s!

Oh, lady, you are a treasure!

Here's my dress, as I found it (wrinkled and holed). Buckle and buttons are matching brown plastic. When do you reckon it's from?

The buckle, the belt in the back only, the assymetrical closure of the buttons, the little epulets (and no shoulder pads to speak of) all cry out 1933 to 1935 to me. Nice dress! Don't iron it, it will get shiny, steam it instead.

 

[Laura Chase]

The buckle, the belt in the back only, the assymetrical closure of the buttons, the little epulets (and no shoulder pads to speak of) all cry out 1933 to 1935 to me. Nice dress! Don't iron it, it will get shiny, steam it instead.

I think 30's too, but I'm happy you can narrow it down for me. You're a doll.

Can I steam it with my iron, without touching the surface? Several of my vintage dresses need a good steaming and I can't find any of those nifty prof-ish steamers for anywhere under $200 over here.

I have another dress with a buckle in the back, but that one is definitely 40's and has large shoulder pads and the buckle is covered in fabric. I was thinking of adding small pads to the brown dress too, I think it'd look better.

Tinseltown, I love the lipstick holder. Is it for small lipsticks like the Bésame ones or the same size as modern day lipsticks?

 

[KittyT]

Can I steam it with my iron, without touching the surface? Several of my vintage dresses need a good steaming and I can't find any of those nifty prof-ish steamers for anywhere under $200 over here.

Many Rowenta brand irons can do vertical steam shots (meaning you can steam an item that's hanging up). Rowenta irons produce a ton of steam and are the best for regular pressing as well (especially if you do sewing). At least over here, you can get a decent one for about $70.

 

[Miss 1929]

Or just send it to the cleaners...

that's the easiest!
Or throw it in the dryer with a slightly damp towel - steams it enough usually. The dress doesn't look too crushed! that may be enough.

 

[Tinseltown]

Laura - They're actually quite big. Is that a sure-fire sign that its not of "The Golden Age"?
When did they start making lipsticks bigger?

In regards to steaming, have you tried hanging it in the bathroom (on the curtain rod for instance) after a hot shower??
Someone recommended me that for a dress of mine (Silk). Haven't tried it out, though!

Vintage Betty, I am especially excited to see if you can find anything out about the silver ring. It's my favorite ring and t's very dear to my heart. I can't remember when my granny said it was from, though.

 

[Laura Chase]

Laura - They're actually quite big. Is that a sure-fire sign that its not of "The Golden Age"?
When did they start making lipsticks bigger?

No, not at all, I've seen big lipsticks from the 50's, anyway. I don't know when it started, though.

In regards to steaming, have you tried hanging it in the bathroom (on the curtain rod for instance) after a hot shower??
Someone recommended me that for a dress of mine (Silk). Haven't tried it out, though!

Will try that, can't hurt.

 

[KittyT]

that's the easiest!
Or throw it in the dryer with a slightly damp towel - steams it enough usually. The dress doesn't look too crushed! that may be enough.

I've also had good luck hanging it in the bathroom when I'm taking a hot shower.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Please help me date the chairs and sweater set. If you need more pics please let me know.


Three chairs for $30 -- the other two don't have arms. I thought they looked mid century. Not sure about the upholstery, whether it's original or not.

White angora twinset -- unsure of date.

 

[Sunny]

Please help me date the chairs and sweater set. If you need more pics please let me know.


Three chairs for $30 -- the other two don't have arms. I thought they looked mid century. Not sure about the upholstery, whether it's original or not.

Looks like good, solid midcentury to me as well. Mid 1950s into 1960s. The upholstery may be original, although the colors fit the late 1960s into 70s better. Look underneath - it should be easy to tell if it's been recovered, since the old staple holes should be visible. It depends on the exact technique, of course.

Since the other two don't have arms, it sounds like they're part of a dining room set. My grandparents' set has six chairs, the two with arms going at the head and foot.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Probably original? Check it out.

 

[MaryDeluxe]

Bella...yup your chairs are mid century, danish modern teak dining chairs. Probably 50's....very similar to Hans J Wegner designed chairs. However, that is not the original upholstery.
Nice find!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Bella...yup your chairs are mid century, danish modern teak dining chairs. Probably 50's....very similar to Hans J Wegner designed chairs. However, that is not the original upholstery.
Nice find!

Awesome! How would these normally be upholstered? I'm thinking a deep taupe, in a larger weave to give it some texture.

 

[MaryDeluxe]

Personally, I would take of the seat and remove the fabrics to see if the original fabric is under there somewhere??
I would suggest picking a fabric that works with your other furnishings. I see you have a cool leather sofa...perhaps black/dark brown leather seats? I guess it all depends on where and what you plan on using the chairs for!

 

[Vintage Betty]

Tinseltown, this ring is called post-war or pre-atomic in its design. After the second world war, the hand-setting of stones and such was replaced by machine stamping of metal on the reverse, thus creating a reversed image such as the ring on the left.

With the race to the moon, the theme of moon rocks, atomic designs and such started approximately 1950, but really took head around 1955 and onwards. This ring is approximately 1955-1960 in its design, as a guesstimate. I would be able to tell you more if I could see the back of the ring, the joints and the stone.

I'm guessing that this ring is stamped silver or 925 on the reverse, indicating sterling silver. However, it could be a silver overlay onto brass - it's hard to see from the photo. I'm guessing the stone is a worn-down onyx.

Depending on the metals and the stone, I'd estimate this ring at $65-85 for insurance puposes; but if it's silver and has a hallmark, could fetch as high as $150 in a retail shop, especially if the stone was cleaned.

Sources:
Costume Jewelry: Identification And Price Guide

Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

I need your help on this as I haven't got a clue about kimonos. I got this beautiful vintage kimono for what I think is a bargain price (they usually run around 400 USD in retail here!), but what I'm wondering is how vintage it is. According to the seller it could be from the 1940s. I have a vague notion that different types of kimonos have different names for different occasions ... but I'm not even sure if this is an actual Japanese kimono or just a piece of Japanese-inspired Wester loungewear. The material is heavy, slinky, dull and crepe-like (silk?) and it's double-face, light pink on one side and white on the other.

Pink with cherry blossoms/white with larger flowers:

The label, with some age spots:

As you can see it's very creased and a bit dirty around the neck and sleeve openings. Do you think I could wash it in cold water? In some places the colours seem to have bled so I'm cautious about getting it wet at all ...A bit of green splatter between the flowers which seems to be colour bleeding:

Any help would be appreciated! Thank you in advance.

 

[cherry lips]

ShrinkingViolet, I adore the cherry blossom side of your kimino! If I wasn't such a good girl I'd be jealous