I found an old dress gathering dust in the attic for 65 years – I was stunned to learn it’s worth £35,000

A TIKTOKER was astonished to learn an old velvet dress kept in the attic for 65 years is actually a valuable Dior worth £35,000.

Fashion fan Adeline Vining, 36 – who shares “mostly clothes stuff” on the platform – posted a video of the dress for her 69,000 followers.

NewsflashAdeline Vining tries on the vintage Dior ballgown[/caption]

NewsflashHer gran wore it to swanky parties with her grandad over 70 years ago[/caption]

It has since gone viral with 7.6million views.

Adeline, who lives in London, explained that the Dior dress was originally bought by her late grandmother.

But it had been stuffed in a suitcase in her grandad’s loft and forgotten about for four decades.

She inherited it as a child, then it was in her loft for another 25 years while she waited for the right time to wear it.

Adeline said: “I couldn’t meet my grandmother and wanted to learn more about her through the dress.

“I contacted Dior about 12 years ago but they weren’t much help.”

She asked TikTok users for help and her post was spotted by London-based fashion historian Henry Wilkinson.

He said the typography on the label suggests the dress is an early Christian Dior design, adding: “The hourglass silhouette was reminiscent of his revolutionary ‘New Look’ that began in 1947.”

Based on the zigzag trim on the strapless gown, Wilkinson estimates it came from Christian Dior’s autumn/winter 1949 collection at a time when the he was still creating designs personally.

Adeline said: “Henry encouraged me to get my grandmother’s dress valued and put me in touch with Kerry Taylor Auctions in London.”

The auction house valued the dress at between £30,000 and £35,000 in its current condition.

The TikToker said: “This completely floored me!”

Recently Adeline’s uncle sent her a photo that shows her grandmother dancing in the dress before her death in 1956.

She said: “I’m glad through the dress I’m finally able to meet my grandmother.

Family history

“My grandfather worked in the foreign office so my grandmother would have worn the dress for events held by my grandfather’s office, or events he was invited to.

“The dress was in my grandfather’s attic for 40 years, then I’ve had it for the last 25 years.

“I’ve kept the dress for this long because I had always planned to wear it. But it’s so beautiful, it needs a really special occasion.”

Despite the tempting price tag, Adeline has no plans to cash in and sell the designer frock.

She said: “I plan on keeping the dress, at least until I’ve had a chance to wear it.

“It’s a part of my family history, and I think I would really struggle to part with it.”

Adeline added: “My TikTok followers were all incredibly supportive in helping me date the dress and find out its origins, and also in encouraging me to wear it.

“I think lots of people were also really interested to know its value, but overall, the interest has been mostly around how my grandmother came around to having a custom-made ballgown.

“Also, people have enjoyed hearing about my family history.”

Last year another TikToker told how she hoped to wear her grandmother’s 1950s wedding dress at her own wedding.

But it ended in disaster when she took it to be restored and it came back ripped and stained.

Another viral TikTok vid showed a gran in tears after seeing her wedding dress for the first time in 65 years.

Widow Marilyn got even more emotional when her granddaughter Kate Petrik tried on the vintage gown in a second video.

NewsflashAdeline with the dress that has been hidden away for 65 years[/caption]

NewsflashAdeline shared her story on TikTok[/caption]Fashion – latest style news and Fabulous trends | The Sun