Casgliadau Arlein

Salmon pink dress worn by Ivy May Walker (née Leslie) who emigrated from Jamaica to Port Talbot in 1961. Born in St Andrew, Jamaica, she later married Gerald Fitz Walker (also of Jamaica) in 1967. They lived in Enfield Street, Port Talbot, where they raised eight children.

Salmon-pink dress made from synthetic fibres. It is a 4/1 twill 'shot' fabric, which means it has bundles of white yarn in the warp and orange yarns in the weft. On the reverse the appearance of the fabric is white as floats of white warps lie on the surface of the weave. The dress is sleeveless and has a wide skirt. It has a mock-popover placket at centre front neck with four self-fabric covered domed metal buttons. The upper edge of the front bodice is gathered into a 5cm wide strip which defines the wide neck line. The bodice has long waist and bust darts, as well as side seams. 44cm long metal zip (set into pink cotton herringbone twill) at centre back, extending beyond the waist line into the skirt. Metal hook and stitched loop fastening above zip. Bodice is lined with cotton muslin fabric.

The skirt consists of one piece of fabric with one seam running down in line with the centre back zip (with selvages on either side). There is a further seam, slightly off-set, 5.5cm to the right of the centre front, but that is merely to stitch down a fold in the fabric. There are four box pleats spread around the waist. The hem is a single turn-back, machine-stitched using white thread. A sharp crease and former stitch holes indicate that the hem was originally shorter by 2.5-3cm. There are two croched belt loops which have been stitched in place. There is no belt. Seam allowances at waist have been finished with zigzag stitches.