Bal Masque
Cocktail Dress
1958 (made)
1958 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Duchess of Windsor patronised top Paris designers throughout her life. Christian Dior was a particular favourite. She was sixty-two years old when she selected this black evening dress. It was called 'Bal Masque' and came from the 1958 spring-summer collection designed by Yves Saint Laurent for the house of Dior. The style of the dress is influenced by the bell-shaped skirts fashionable in the 1860s. This influence can also been seen in the way it has been constructed. This dress has a tightly fitted boned corset and a bell-shaped skirt supported by a layered petticoat.The lightweight overdress is made of a double layer of spotted black tulle. It is studded with sparkling black bugle beads which are arranged in festoons caught at intervals by 42 bows of satin ribbon. The dress buttons down the back.
Object details
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| Object type | |
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| Materials and techniques | Silk tulle and boned silk, with bugle beads and satin ribbons |
| Brief description | Cocktail evening dress 'Bal Masque' for 'Ligne Trapèze' of silk tulle with beaded net tulle trimmed with satin, designed by Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior, Paris, 1958 |
| Physical description | Cocktail evening dress of black silk tulle with beaded net tulle trimmed with black satin bows. The dress has a low round neck, elbow length sleeves and a bell-shaped skirt, and with the net caught in drapes by the bows. The edges of the neckline and the sleeves are trimmed with black beads and there is a band of black satin around the hem. The bodice of the under petticoat is boned and the skirt petticoat has several layers of net and gauze, stiffened and boned. The dress fastens down the backs with hooks. Black is used in a series of contrasts of matt and shiny materials. The confection of tulle is embellished with a scattering of tiny jet beads and a series of black satin bows. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Christian Dior Paris Printemps-Ete Made in France 94460' (Label inside bodice) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by the Duchess of Windsor |
| Object history | Made for the Duchess of Windsor. Worn and given by the Duchess. |
| Historical context | Dior's sudden death in 1957 threatened an international business empire. The fashion trade was of vast importance to the French economy, and its recovery after the war was helped immeasurably by Dior's success. Yves Saint Laurent's appointment as chief designer at the age of 21 presaged a shift in taste as the decade drew to a close and his 1958 triangular 'trapeze line' was hailed in the US as 'the first big change in female fashion since the New Look in 1947'. From Wilcox, C., ed., The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57 (V&A Publications, London), p.56. The success of the collection was aided by the presence of the world's best-dressed women, including the Duchess of Windsor. |
| Production | Yves Saint Laurent for the House of Dior. Atelier: Jane. Original model: Victoire. |
| Association | |
| Summary | The Duchess of Windsor patronised top Paris designers throughout her life. Christian Dior was a particular favourite. She was sixty-two years old when she selected this black evening dress. It was called 'Bal Masque' and came from the 1958 spring-summer collection designed by Yves Saint Laurent for the house of Dior. The style of the dress is influenced by the bell-shaped skirts fashionable in the 1860s. This influence can also been seen in the way it has been constructed. This dress has a tightly fitted boned corset and a bell-shaped skirt supported by a layered petticoat.The lightweight overdress is made of a double layer of spotted black tulle. It is studded with sparkling black bugle beads which are arranged in festoons caught at intervals by 42 bows of satin ribbon. The dress buttons down the back. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 94460 - Dior label number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.125-1974 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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