#2649 $1,450
Irish crochet two-piece dress, 1930s
An Irish crochet lace dress was an essential part of the wardrobe for the lady of means from the Edwardian period through the 1930s. This lovely dress, from the end of the trend, is more casual and streamlined than its predecessors from 1905.
Made from an allover pattern of handmade Irish crochet lace, the soft feminine style and delicious detail will appeal to your inner princess. The rare two-piece style features a bias-cut slip with attached lace skirt and a tunic top. Both pieces slip on without closures. The relaxed fit is comfortable and easy to wear.
The scale of the pattern is slightly larger on the skirt than elsewhere. The neckline, cuffs, and tunic hem are bordered with large three-dimensional flowers; the skirt hem is bordered with machine made fringe. The original slip, which was shattering, has been replaced with a newer version to make the dress wearable.
The designer ingeniously uses small Irish crochet flowers thematically throughout the intricate design. The flowers either encircle or delineate the other design motifs: Irish crochet is used to mark off sections in the design. Zoom in on the bold flowers to appreciate the masterful crochet technique!
The European craft of crochet achieved an aesthetic pinnacle in Ireland, where crochet artists used 17th century Venetian needlepoint laces as their inspiration. The quintessential Irish lace is Irish crochet, already famous in 1743 when the Royal Dublin Society awarded prizes for outstanding examples.
The condition is excellent. The dress is clean and ready to wear.
The tunic measures: 42" bust, 40" waist, 48" hip, and 32" from shoulder to hem.
The slip measures: 38" bust, 36" waist, 40" hip, and
56" from shoulder to hem.
