Dress
The voluminous design of this dress lent itself to a maternity version that James made for Lane Bryant, in which the faille exterior is attached to a taffeta underslip that is cut to expand gradually from under the bust to accommodate a pregnancy. To develop the design, James established the angle of the expansion with tapes passed through staples tacked into a wooden platform. Despite the design’s origins in complicated engineering, the final dressmaking solution for the blouson was a simple horizontal welt tuck circling the skirt, angled high at back and lower at front.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dress
- Designer: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978)
- Date: ca. 1956
- Culture: American
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Purchase, Costume Institute Benefit Fund, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, and Acquisitions Fund, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.327
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Charles James
1956
Charles James
1956
Charles James
1940–1959
Charles James
1940–1959
Charles James
1940–1959
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.