Blouse - 1970s Italian Georgette Silk

$1,278.00

Stitched-like lines wave into abstract petals on this Italian silk blouse. This cream georgette cloth graces the figure with its minimal darts and dotted pattern. Accentuated with “echt Perlmutter” buttons, a darker mother of pearl shell, that complement the cloth perfectly. Perfect for the office with a trouser, or casually styled with jeans on a day off.

Fabric

1970’s Italian georgette silk, with a lightly raised “flocked” texture resembling the outline of a rose and it’s petals. This flock printed georgette silk was purchased from a retiring couture dressmaker who, in turn, purchased the silk in Milan, Italy. By the 1970s, the Como region in Italy accounted for 80% of Italy’s silk production, so it is likely this silk came from Como. The establishment of Antonio Ratti was the largest silk manufacturer in Como at the time, selling to Valentino, Pucci, and veritably all household-name Italian designers.

A “P” label in this shirt is a rare blush pink early 20th-century lace appliqué from France.

Buttons

1960’s German mother of pearl buttons.  These mother of pearl buttons (“echt Perlmutter”) were made in Germany from dark shell stone and dyed blue.  Dill Buttons was one of the most prolific button manufacturers in the 1960s and today continues to be headquartered in Barnauin, Bavaria. During the 1960s, there was a shortage of mother of pearl buttons — this may explain the popularity of dark shell stone during this time period.

Sizing Details

This blouse is a Medium, which means it is designed to accommodate U.S. sizes 2 through 8. View our detailed size chart and int'l sizes here.

Stitched-like lines wave into abstract petals on this Italian silk blouse. This cream georgette cloth graces the figure with its minimal darts and dotted pattern. Accentuated with “echt Perlmutter” buttons, a darker mother of pearl shell, that complement the cloth perfectly. Perfect for the office with a trouser, or casually styled with jeans on a day off.

Fabric

1970’s Italian georgette silk, with a lightly raised “flocked” texture resembling the outline of a rose and it’s petals. This flock printed georgette silk was purchased from a retiring couture dressmaker who, in turn, purchased the silk in Milan, Italy. By the 1970s, the Como region in Italy accounted for 80% of Italy’s silk production, so it is likely this silk came from Como. The establishment of Antonio Ratti was the largest silk manufacturer in Como at the time, selling to Valentino, Pucci, and veritably all household-name Italian designers.

A “P” label in this shirt is a rare blush pink early 20th-century lace appliqué from France.

Buttons

1960’s German mother of pearl buttons.  These mother of pearl buttons (“echt Perlmutter”) were made in Germany from dark shell stone and dyed blue.  Dill Buttons was one of the most prolific button manufacturers in the 1960s and today continues to be headquartered in Barnauin, Bavaria. During the 1960s, there was a shortage of mother of pearl buttons — this may explain the popularity of dark shell stone during this time period.

Sizing Details

This blouse is a Medium, which means it is designed to accommodate U.S. sizes 2 through 8. View our detailed size chart and int'l sizes here.

 

ABOUT THIS PIECE

Italian Silk Georgette c. 1970s.

 
 

Dotted lines twirl into abstract flowers on this Italian silk georgette blouse with dark German mother of pearl buttons for a subtly chic and curve-gracing silhouette.

Designed & made in Houston, Texas

 
 
 
 
 
Blouse - 19th C. American Silk Cotton Blouse - 19th C. American Silk Cotton
Blouse - 19th C. American Silk Cotton
$1,386.00

American cotton, 19th C., elegantly paired with blue-green American mother of pearl c. 1920-40. The pattern is an abstract leaf print that is so modern it's hard to believe it was printed 120 years ago. This piece is ideal for day, and can be worn to work under a blazer or with a high-waisted skirt, and for cocktails with a sparkling earring to bring out the luminscence of this finely woven fabric.

Fabric

Purple silk cotton from the 1800s, which was found in excellent condition in a building in north Philadelphia (on Frankford Avenue just south of Lehigh), wrapped in late 19th century newspapers, from an old seamstress’ shop.

Buttons

Blue-green dyed mother of pearl buttons made from shells mined from the Mississippi River out of Washington, Iowa between the 1920s and 40s. America — Muscatine, Iowa in particular — was the pearl button capital of the world until the 1950s. Shells were mined right out of the Mississippi River. Called “toe digging”, everyday men and women could go down to the river, wade around, gather shells and take them to the manufacturer for payment. The industry died with the technological innovation of plastic.

Sizing Details

This blouse is a Medium, which means it is designed to accommodate U.S. sizes 2 through 8. View our detailed size chart and int'l sizes here. The measurements of this specific garment accommodate a bust of up to 40” and a waist of up to 35”. It is 25” long in the front and 26” long in the back.