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Evening dress
Jean Patou, born 1880 - died 1936 - Enlarge image
Evening dress
- Place of origin:
Paris, France (made)
- Date:
1932-1934 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Jean Patou, born 1880 - died 1936 (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Machine-sewn tulle and hand-sewn sequins
- Credit Line:
Given by Mrs Leo D'Erlanger
- Museum number:
T.336&A-1974
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This long sleeveless evening dress made of tulle is entirely covered in pink sequins. The bodice is loosely draped and has a slightly pleated peplum at the front. There is a golden sequinned belt at waist level. The skirt of the dress is tubular and ends at the bottom with a trompe-l'oeil effect of pleats.
During the first half of the 1930s, evening dresses were designed to wrap women in luxurious, body-hugging sheaths, replacing the short and flat square gowns of the 1920s. Evening gowns were mostly sleeveless, often displaying a bare back or a low neckline and inevitably touching the floor. During the Depression, designers were forced to explore simpler lines and shapes, which they found in classical architecture and dress. The glorification of the body, central to classical dress, inspired fashion designers to display the female body as much as possible while concealing it with softer fabrics. In the same search for classical simplicity and purity, designers discarded the heavy embroideries of the 1920s, for the simple use of evocative fabrics such as lamés and satins.
