Dress, light brown jersey with dark brown stripe, Biba, London, 1973.

Day dress in light brown jersey with a darker brown stripe, short sleeves, bodice with deep V neck and square buttons down front and flared peplum at hips giving a jacket-and-skirt illusion. The peplum also conceals a fly-style front zipper which extends down from the buttoned jacket opening. Midi-length skirt with flared hemline. The striped fabric is cut at alternating angles to enhance the Deco illusion.

Given by Barbara Hulanicki

This dress has been previously dated to 1970-71, although it is now thought to be from 1973. Angela Smith, Biba scholar and advisor for Brighton Museum's Biba retrospective had this to say:

"The silhouette of this ensemble does not fit in with any of the Biba silhouettes between 1970-1971. However, it fits in perfectly with the 1973 Biba silhouette which repeatedly uses the same sleeve and shoulder shape, peplum, skirt length and the front yoke on the jacket. Also the colour scheme and striped jersey fit in better with the 1973 collections and the cut plastic Deco style buttons. There is always the "odd" piece which appears to be later but is in fact earlier - an example of Barbara Hulanicki pre-empting future collections. One good example of this is a double-breasted mackintosh coat which appears first in the mid-1960s and then again in 1969 and again in the 1970s, all very similar, and usually only the garment label is the way to date them because they all look basically the same. Another example is a bishop sleeve white cotton maxi dress which first appeared as a retail garment in the Kensington High Street 1969-1970. However, it was designed in 1966 and not put into production for about four years."

- Daniel Milford-Cottam, 15/06/2016

T.120-2011