Through till Monday or so, it’s all about details. This dress doesn’t look like much on the hanger – it’s a custom-tailored wrap dress that needs the body to define it’s shape.

The most interesting points about it are in the construction. It’s a fun style that buttons off-side and has hidden inside ties to shape the waist and tame the overlap.

The seamstress used little metallic buttons and the fabric has gold accents on some of the flowers in the print. It has an Asian flavor to the style and the floral designs.

So far, you’re still saying “OK, ho hum, so what? I see stuff that looks like this all the time.” The big deal in this dress, to my vintage-spotting eye, is the fabric.

It is a closely-woven 100% cotton that looks and feels like nothing new. The best way that I can describe the “hand” (feel) of it is if your grandmother still has cotton sheets from the 1940’s or 1950’s that have gotten soft with wear over the years, but are still strong.

The fabric also has a polish. Good polished cotton is rarely, if ever, seen in modern clothing.

So, that’s the secret of this casual dress and what makes it special. . . . . . . . . . . .

Morgana Martin, the Magicvintagespy
blog: Magicvintagespy.com
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book: How to Find the Best in Vintage Fashion available on Amazon.com