Evening dress
One of the first strapless designs of the 1930s, this dress was created on a lightly stiffened foundation in grosgrain to support the bodice. Silk-encased ribs, like those of an umbrella, are the understructure that supports the fullness of the skirt, created by eight gores. The long darts horizontally placed at the mid-calf take up the fabric to form the pointed lobes. Horizontal interior bones support the silhouette of the skirt while amplifying its sway in movement.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Designer: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978)
- Date: 1938
- Culture: American
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Purchase, Costume Institute Benefit Fund, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, and Acquisitions Fund, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.402
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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