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Macro of the hem's turned edge and a faint press line above it, the cotton falling in soft folds.
Close view of the collar and tag, Hand Made in the Philippines woven in orange thread beside two rosebud sprigs worked either side of the top button.
The dress laid on a table with other pieces waiting in soft focus behind it, collar and button placket centred.
Full front view of the dress laid flat, peter pan collar with rosebud embroidery, puff sleeves and a five button placket, the Hand Made in the Philippines tag just visible at the neck.
Close view of a puff sleeve gathered at the shoulder and finished in a narrow hemmed cuff, the fabric catching soft light.
Macro of a single button and buttonhole on the front placket, the cotton so fine the seam allowance shows through.
Close view of the underarm seam where sleeve meets bodice, the raw edges finished plainly beneath the gathered puff.
Close view of the collar's scalloped edge and rosebud embroidery either side of the top button, the Hand Made in the Philippines tag stitched at centre back.
Close view of the neckline and collar from a slightly wider angle, three rosebud sprigs trailing down the front placket.
Macro detail of a single embroidered rosebud sprig on the bodice, worked in white thread with a pale pink centre.
Full view of the collar, tag and upper bodice, the button placket and its rosebud sprigs laid flat and centred.
The dress laid flat in full on a table, other folded garments waiting in soft focus behind it, puff sleeves spread and collar centred.
Close view of the collar and tag from the front, the dress's puff sleeves visible at each side.
The dress's back laid flat, hem folded up to show the turned finish and a narrow side vent.
The dress folded over on itself, sleeve and skirt overlapping to show the drape of the cotton.
Close view of the underarm and side seam, the Hand Made in the Philippines tag showing faintly through the fabric from beneath.
Close view of the back yoke and shoulder seams, a soft horizontal press line visible across the upper back.
Detail of the side seam and hem, small pleats releasing into the skirt above a narrow side vent.
The dress folded into quarters, collar and sleeve tucked in against the folded skirt.
The dress folded in half lengthwise, collar and tag visible at the top beside one gathered sleeve.

Sprig and Scallop · Hand Made in the Philippines 1950s Embroidered Cotton Baby Dress

A$130.00



Cotton · hand-embroidered rosebud sprigs · scalloped peter pan collar · handmade in the Philippines · 1950s · 39cm length flat · fits six to twelve months · excellent condition

Three small sprigs march down the front placket, each one a single rosebud in pale pink with two white leaves either side, spaced so evenly that whoever stitched them must have measured with her eye alone.

The tag at the back neck is woven rather than printed, hand made in the Philippines picked out in a cheerful orange thread, the same claim carried on thousands of these dresses shipped out through the nineteen fifties to department stores across the Pacific. The needlework was cottage industry work, women stitching at home and paid by the piece, and the sprigged collar in front of you is the proof of an afternoon's careful attention rather than a factory's repetition. She is a 1950s dress, plain in silhouette so the embroidery has somewhere quiet to sit.

The collar sits flat and rounded, its edge finished in a fine scallop rather than a plain hem, with a spray of rosebuds worked along the curve on both sides of the placket. Five small white plastic buttons close the front, hand-sewn through worked buttonholes, and the sleeves gather into a soft puff at the shoulder before finishing in a narrow 1cm cuff band, 11cm long in total. The cotton itself is tightly woven yet still sheer, the palest oyster pink, fine enough to show the shadow of a hand held flat behind it.

Material

Cotton, white plastic buttons

Care

Hand wash in cool water and avoid wringing. Dry flat or on a padded hanger out of direct sun. A cool iron on the reverse only, working around the embroidery rather than over it.

More on looking after vintage pieces in our care guide.

Size

Measured flat: Measured flat, she runs 39cm from shoulder to hem, 28cm across the bust, 33cm at the waist and 37cm at the hip, flaring gently to a 42cm hem. Sleeves are short and gathered, 11cm long, finishing in a narrow 1cm cuff band, with a 4.5cm neckline drop framed by the collar. No size printed on the tag, but by these measurements she suits roughly six to twelve months.

Our size guide explains how vintage sizing is read here.

Condition

Excellent. The embroidery sits flat and complete along the collar with no missing stitches, all five buttons are original and functioning, and the cotton shows no marks, tears or discolouration. This one reads exhibition condition, closer to unworn than loved-in.

Our condition lexicon explains the grades we use.

Before it reaches you

Someone loved this before you did, and I try to honour that properly. Each piece is hand washed, or cleaned in the way that the fabric permits, then steamed until it softens and straightens and feels newly attended to. Wherever a button was missing, it has been replaced with a vintage one from my long-kept collection. Wherever a hem had given way, I fix it by hand. By the time it leaves this room it is genuinely clean, pressed, whole, and looked over one final time before I let myself believe it is ready. Not restored. Not made new. Just returned to a state where it can be loved again, by someone who was not there the first time.

The rosebuds along the collar are counting something, though nobody has worked out what: some mornings there are three to a sprig, some evenings only two, and the third turns up again before anyone thinks to check twice. Five white buttons hold five separate opinions about how fast a small child can wriggle out of a dress, and so far the buttons are winning. The scallops at the collar's edge are the only part of her that agrees to stay still.