Not currently on display at the V&A

Diorette

Dress
ca. 1960 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dress was worn by a girl of about 8 years old in Geneva Switzerland probably around the 1960s . The dress, which would have been for best or worn to parties, is made of silk taffeta and has an olive green crushed velvet sash. The dress has the brand name, Diorette and was made by Christian Dior label.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Slip
  • Dress
  • Sash
TitleDiorette (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Machine stitching, nylon, taffeta and velvet.
Brief description
Dress for a girl of about 7 years old, lemon yellow silk taffeta, Diorette by Christian Dior, 1950-1969.
Physical description
Yellow taffeta dress with green sash and a nylon underslip. The dress itself is a pale yellow taffeta and has been made using a double thickness of fabric. The dress is sleeveless with wide shoulder straps and a high square neck at the front and the back. The chest area of the dress has four slightly overlapping layers of taffeta creating a pleat effect. The back panel of the dress opens to just below the waist and fastens with four yellow plastic buttons.
A flat and separate sash in an olive green crushed velvet attaches through two string loops present on the dress.The bodice is fitted with darts forming a waist at the front the the back. The waist is gathered and the skirt is full and flares out in its two separate layers and falls naturally around the knee. There is only a hem on the inner layer of the skirts. The sash itself has two sets of buttons to allow for two different fastening positions. There is also a wide and flat folded decorative bow.
Dimensions
  • Flat across the waist of the dress width: 28cm
  • From the shoulder to the bottom hem height: 78cm
Marks and inscriptions
Diorette /created by/ Christian Dior (sewn in to a label attachet at back of neck)
Credit line
Given by Veronica Reimer-Blakemore
Object history
The dress was acquired from an elderly lady who was moving from a large property near the donor's house in Geneva, Switzerland to a smaller flat. The intention was that the donor's daughter would wear the dress as she was just about the right size for it, but she never did as it was not to her taste. The original provenance of the dress before this time is not known.
The slip worn under the dress appears to have been manufactured seperately but matches in terms of its shape and cut.
Summary
This dress was worn by a girl of about 8 years old in Geneva Switzerland probably around the 1960s . The dress, which would have been for best or worn to parties, is made of silk taffeta and has an olive green crushed velvet sash. The dress has the brand name, Diorette and was made by Christian Dior label.
Collection
Accession number
B.163-2011

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Record createdFebruary 28, 2012
Record URL
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