Would You Use 100-Year-Old Fabric?

DAR Museum

The DAR Museum has in its collection a dress which dates back to 1800-1820. However, the fabric appears to be from 1705-1710.

Inside the dress you can see indications that it was re-made at least four times to save the expensive fabric while keeping up with style trends.

It would seem that "re-purposing" an item has been around quite a while...Would you be up to using 100-year-old brown silk damask?

Comments

#8 Mary1938 2018-09-12 14:18

I am 80 years old, and "re-purposing" was a necessity in my youth. My Mother, a single mother, purchased an old wool coat, in good condition, and took it apart to cut a new coat for me out of the fabric. She was an amazing seamstress, and the finished garment was beautiful.

#7 jemno 2018-09-11 13:20

Interestring, I just did some minor alterations on a 63 year old dress from my junior high days for my 12 year old granddaughter.

#6 Candie 2018-09-11 12:13

The dress is unbeliveably beautiful. My thought is what is it being recycled into. Will it lessen the treasure that it already is

#5 MEMA1 2018-09-10 17:20

I totally agree with Joy's comments. Our family has the philosophy of conservation in all things where it is valid. We are a large, far-flung family and when we get together, we all bring out=grown things and other sundries to swap. Only lately has there been a plentitude of goods, and especially, food. Are we fat because of TV and video games or because of over-indulgence of ourselves? Saving everything you can, not using more than you need and sharing what you aren't currently using has become a clandestine, hidden thing in our society, almost as if it was somehow "dirty". We need to get over ourselves and look at the broader, even global, picture. This dress is just a reminder that our ancestors did this out of necessity. We should do it out of respect for the earth.

#4 Evelyn 2018-09-10 13:03

Adds a new layer of understanding to the unstitching we complain about today.

#3 Joy 2018-09-10 09:28

Of course, repurposing items has been around for a while. It's only in the last century or so that the ordinary person in North America and other "advanced societies" has had more than he or she needs. Most of us repurpose now because of a philosophy, not of need. As well, over a hundred years, a family's circumstance can change significantly. In a time when many people made their own clothing, it was a given that you would use what you had. This fabric has performed very well over the years.

#2 Linda Hinds 2018-09-10 08:04

beautiful material

#1 June 2018-09-10 01:14

That’s incredible! I’m amazed how well it has held out. A very rare chance to see a fabric and the design from the past. Thank you for sharing with us.

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