#vintage evening gown

[professorpski]

A Fairy Princess Dress: Vogue 1931

This re-issued pattern from 1957 will make you wish you had a ball to attend. It has an enormous skirt, which really needs a stiff petticoat to make the most of it, and comes with two strapless bodice options. One, has decorative lacing down the front and is attached to the skirt. The other one, the fairy princess one, has a separate “overbodice” as they call it, which goes over the dress and which has a pleated frill added along the top edge, a draped apron below (although they call it a  pannier,” French for basket) and then a great, big bow at the back which closes with 10 buttons.

The late 1950s was the era of the hour-glass silhouette, and while romantic looks in evening dresses had been popular since the late 1940s, and was clearly the selling point here, notice how spare the grey version was, a sign of change to come. The dress requires over 10 yards of fabric at 60″ wide for the dress itself (it is mostly the skirt) and the additional overbodice takes up around 3 yards. 

Quite something. In fact, I am pretty sure you can’t even put it on by yourself in the bowed version. As to the making, remember that strapless dresses are built from the waist upwards. The boning which is inserted within the lining is what defies gravity for you, and you should definitely muslin the bodice to make sure it fits nicely. I don’t see any indication in the description, but most strapless dresses also benefit from an inner belt which helps hold the shape of the dress in and up as well.

The fabrics recommended are ones to make you sigh: silk organdie, taffeta, moire, faille, chiffon and crepe, as well as barathea which is a silk/cotton birds-eye weave with one fabric as the warp and one as the weft. No, I have never seen one either. Notice some are crispy, and some very soft and drapey, so first decide how big you want to appear and whether you want to add that petticoat. and then pick your fabric. If you compare the width of the skirts in the illustrations v. those in the line drawings and you see what a petticoat would do.

You can find it at your local fabric store or here online: https://somethingdelightful.com/vogue-patterns/v1931

[thereisomethingaboutlilac]

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬

[costumeloverz71]

Evening gown, c. 1912

[frostedmagnolias]

evening dress

c. 1881-84

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

[inthedarktrees]

Actress Suzy Parker models an evening gown, New York City, 1951

[lookingbackatfashionhistory]

• Evening Gown.

Designer: Pierre Balmain

Date: ca. 1958

Medium: Silk jersey, chiffon

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Josephine Baker models a creation by Pierre Balmain during her U.S. tour, October 19, 1951. The gown, made of tulle and gold lamé, was a special design for her new song ,"Black Magic."

Photo: Associated Press

[mote-historie]

Evening gown by Lucile aka Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, Les Modes Paris, 1914

[chicinsilk]

Ligne "Silhouette de Demain"

Yves Saint-Laurent for Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 1960 Collection. Brigitte Bardot wears the “NuitdeVenise” evening dress.

Yves Saint-Laurent pour Christian Dior Collection Haute Couture Printemps/Été 1960. Brigitte Bardot porte la robe du soir "NuitdeVenise".

Photo Nicolas Tikhomiroff

[gingerbaci]

Evening Gowns by Givenchy, 1973 - via x

[thereisomethingaboutlilac]

https://www.pinterest.com.

[emeraldexplorer2]

Oh, my eyes!!! That makes me dizzy.

[costumeloverz71]

Evening Gown, 1912. Ellen Helin.

[frostedmagnolias]

Evening dress

c. 1905

Maison Stitch Filiale

Museum of Applied Arts

[fashionsfromhistory]

“Clover Leaf”

Charles James

1953

The MET

Currently on view: In America: An Anthology of Fashion

[lookingbackatfashionhistory]

• Evening Ensemble.

Designer: Fernando Sarmi

Date: ca. 1959

Material: Silk moiré-printed taffeta.