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Evening Dress

1957 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Black velvet evening dress, full length with three quarter sleeves. The bodice has a low, square neck at the front and sides, joined up the centre back with a zip. There is one band on either side of the front, running from the shoulder seam and then gathered into another panel of black velvet for the lower part of the front. Set into the upper part of the front is a fichu of black faille, gathered in at the sides.

The skirt is very full and gathered into the bodice all the way round. To either side of the front the material is caught into the bodice in thick pleats to give a heavy gather, trimmed with a large bow of black faille.

There is an inner, lightly-boned bodice of black tulle, attached to an inner skirt of black taffeta, which open down the centre back with a short zip. Between the inner and the outer skirt is a double petticoat of black net, with deep hems, sandwiching two pieces of coarser net on either side to support the drapes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Plain and printed velvet with silk faille, lightly-boned, tulle, taffeta, net
Brief description
Velvet evening dress, designed by Stiebel, London, 1957.
Physical description
Black velvet evening dress, full length with three quarter sleeves. The bodice has a low, square neck at the front and sides, joined up the centre back with a zip. There is one band on either side of the front, running from the shoulder seam and then gathered into another panel of black velvet for the lower part of the front. Set into the upper part of the front is a fichu of black faille, gathered in at the sides.

The skirt is very full and gathered into the bodice all the way round. To either side of the front the material is caught into the bodice in thick pleats to give a heavy gather, trimmed with a large bow of black faille.

There is an inner, lightly-boned bodice of black tulle, attached to an inner skirt of black taffeta, which open down the centre back with a short zip. Between the inner and the outer skirt is a double petticoat of black net, with deep hems, sandwiching two pieces of coarser net on either side to support the drapes.
Production typeHaute couture
Credit line
Given by Miss Joyce Grenfell
Object history
Worn on stage while on tour in the USA by Joyce Grenfell.
Bibliographic reference
Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton. London : H.M.S.O., 1971
Collection
Accession number
T.408-1974

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Record createdSeptember 6, 2007
Record URL
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