evening dress and purse

Description: Evening dress, c.1950s. Brick red and purple striped rayon taffeta with matching drawstring bag. Floor length princess cut with a small train, sleeveless with shoulder puffed drapery around neckline. Zipper down left side. The low shoulders and round neckline are formed with taffeta with purple, brown, green, and grey stripes of varying widths, in a puffed arrangement that has a twist at centre front and back. It is also gathered at the centre back. The main dress is formed with brick red taffeta in a princess cut with a centre front panel of striped red and grey taffeta. There is a panel on either side of this front piece that continues to the side backs. It has a dart at the right side, and a metal zipper on the right for its closure. Six panels make up the back, each contoured. At the lower back, there is a large inverted box pleat; here, two large godets add extra volume for the length of the skirt. At the slightly trained hem, there is also some interfacing within. The dress is lined throughout with brown cotton twill except on the centre front panel. The seams are all individually whip-stitched to finish. The matching purse is about eight inches high, made of the same fabric as the neckline puff on the dress and lined with purple cotton. It is gathered into a round bottom reinforced with cardboard. The top closes with a drawstring of the same material.

Research