If you are really a vintage fan, you've probably read about Kate Moss's "$8000 Dior" gown being torn to shreads at the Golden Age of Couture exhibition opening at the V&A. Maybe it is because the general public can't tell a 1930s wedding dress from a New Look Gown, or maybe it is because people have seen so much bad behavior from celebrity women recently, that the story seems believable.
But we vintage fans know better! This absolutely is not a Dior, and I doubt very seriously that she paid anywhere near $8000 for it, even it the classiest of vintage boutiques. According to early reports, the dress cost 650 pounds, or about $1300. Still this is a high price for a 1930s wedding dress, but it was purchased, evidently, in London. The Dior attribution came a day later, when a source that was said to be "close to Ms. Moss" stated that the dress was a Dior, and that she had paid 4000 pounds for it.
What is really interesting, is that a fellow member of the Vintage Fashion Guild sold this dress recently to a London buyer. She knows it is the same dress because the bottom button loop was sewn down by her seamstress because the button was missing. You can clearly see this repair in some of the Moss photos. In her description, she stated that the dress could be worn with care. With care does not mean with the train trailing so that others can step opon it, nor does it mean wild dancing in the dress is a good idea!
And another thing, I know undergarments are out of style, but this dress was designed to be worn with a certain amout of corsetry, with a firmed up midriff and hips. In the 1930s, a woman was not going to wiggle in her clothes! In order to get any vintage dress to look its best, foundation garments of the correct era is a necessity.
The bottom line is that all vintage is not for wearing, especially in situations that would be rough on a modern garment, not to mention one that is 70 years old!
Bravenet Blog 
Blog Community
Get a Free Blog
Manage your Blog