The twin of this dress in black was shown as Look 78 for the 2015 Resort presentation. I love this that they also produced this chic ivory version. In 2015 Valentino was headed by both Maria Grazia Chiuri and PierPaolo Piccioli. They had stepped into Mr Valentino's shoes and were breathing new life into the brand. In the Vogue review for this collection they said: "Monastic, artistocratic, modest, and even prim have been terms applied to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's Valentino almost since they took over in 2009." Most of the looks in the show followed a more exuberant and colourful feel but the black version of this dress was one stand out that maintained their more simplistic and minimal approach. l absolutely love this dress. It was well documented and it's twin was worn by several celebrities which we have included here for you to see.

The dress does not have a single unnecessary seam. It really shows how sometimes absolute minimalism is best. Even with its simplicity it would still be a dress that is red carpet worthy or would make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any other event. The dress is made from an ivory silk crepe that has a beautiful drape. This is what lets it move so beautifully over the body once it is on. It is constructed so that it drapes and skims over the body perfectly. The skirt falls to the floor in a sweeping expanse of fabric. When you stand still it looks more like a sleek column but when you move you realize how much fabric is in there as it billows out behind you. The bodice drapes softly over you at the front. The silk extends over the shoulders from the back and then it falls to the floor to create this elegant and still dramatic caped feeling over your arms. The fabric has enough weight that it stays in place when you are standing still but when you move you get a beautiful billowing effect around you. It is very beautiful. Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with a hidden set side zipper on the inner dress. Tagged a Valentino 6. Perhaps the tiniest bit of grubbiness to the hem and I see a pinhead size mark on the bodice bit otherwise I don't think it has ever been worn. Very minor and just mentioning for accuracy. Please see the photo after the label shot. It otherwise appears to have been worn very little if at all. The easy cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes.

Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4696

Reference Photos: (1) Resort 2015 Valentino Collection, Look 78. Model: Maartje Verhoef.  /  (2-3) Kim Kardashian in Valentino at the 2015 InStyle Awards.  /  (4) Lady Gaga in Valentino at the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, December 2014.  /  (5) credit unknown.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Valentino launched his ready-to-wear label in 1962 two years after opening his atelier in Rome. He eventually expanded and added other boutiques. His first New York boutique launched in the fall of 1970 and it caused a sensation. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with everyone who was anyone trying to get in on opening night. More boutiques followed including one at Bergdorfs. He encouraged his couture clients to also shop in his boutiques. He wanted everyone to have the Valentino experience and noted that he often carried the lines he created for his Couture label into the boutique work. The fabric and construction details were still remarkably close in quality to his couture pieces at this point in time. The line between the two was often blurred and on this set you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. I absolutely love this set. It is gorgeous.

The dress is made out of a black silk that holds its shape and volume beautifully. This is a two piece set made up of a dress and its matching jacket. They are fantastically beautiful worn together but I also love that by having the two pieces it gives you more styling options and you can wear then separately and mix and match with other things you already own. The dress is suspended by two tiny straps that curve up and over each shoulder. A wide set V sits at the front and then it dips lower across at the back to leave a bare expanse of open skin. It is cut to be more fitted to the waist and then under that it is all volume. The skirt has an incredible amount of silk in it that really shows best when you move. The lightness of the silk causes the skirt to billow out and move around you as you move, yet it still has enough weight that it holds that full feeling when you stand still. When this is on and you are walking the effect that this creates is absolutely gorgeous. A full 13" ruffle circles the lower hem and it has been sewn is on top of the skirt and not simple seamed onto the edge. This is a clever technique that leaves fabric inside and behind the skirt and this helps to hold its shape. This uses extra fabric so it's not something you see as much anymore. And it has pockets. The jacket is a thing of beauty in its own right. It widens out from a soft shoulder and curves around and up from the hem to the neckline. I love the tiny ruffled finish that follows the edge. The sleeves are incredible and each is cut to be a wide bell shape. By their ends they are each a full 20" around and the ruffle that finishes each sleeve is a little more then that even. It is absolutely beautiful. This is a stunning Valentino from this time period. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a black silk. The dress closes with a back zipper and there are two hidden hook and eye at the base of the jacket at the front. Tagged a vintage Valentino size 6. 

Dress
Bust: to 16.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Jacket
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Sleeves: 22.5" long and 14" around the top part of the arm
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17.5" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4054

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is an incredible dress and it has the added provenance of having been worn by poet Rupi Kaur to the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Event for the 2024 Oscars season. I love that this gives you the chance to see the dress on the body and how beautifully it falls. The dress was made for the shops and dates to the 1998-2002 era based on similar cuts that I have had in the shop and what was on the runways. he dress is exceptional and you only have to take one look at Rupi in the dress to see just how fabulous this is on an actual body

This is a gorgeous dress. I love its bareness at the top with the full open back and the low draped neckline. It is a little sexier then some of his work tends so be but it still manages to feel elegant and refined. It is a dress that really comes alive on the body. It is very light and easy to wear despite its extensive bead work and sequins. It is cut to perfectly fit and skim over the body. It is made from a  lightweight bias cut silk chiffon and a silk net that is then covered in thousands of little black sequins and various shaped beads. The bodice is cut into a halter with tiny little beaded straps that curve up and over the shoulders. At the back the straps cross over your bare back which then dips into a low curve across the small of your back. This leaves the back almost completely bare. The front also has a bare feel. The halter covers the breasts and then drapes low in between. There is no seam at the waist to break the line of the eye. The combination of wide bands of the sequin and beads highlight the curves and shape of the dress and those are separated by expanses of the black silk chiffon. The bias cut of the fabric simply curves it in and over you to create shape. The skirt flows to the floor and widens out just a touch as it nears the hem. I love the way that the skirt is cut a little longer at the back to give the feel of a slight train there. Mixed into the beaded pattern are little bits of black silk netting that add an extra bit of texture to the dress. It is a beautiful example of Mr Valentino's work with the added bonus of its recent red carpet provenance. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined in a black silk chiffon and closes with a back hidden zipper at the base of the scoop at the back. Hand finishes. There are some missing beads and some inner repairs / tiny beginnings of stress openings on the fabric near the ends of some of the lines of bead work on the train and bottom of the skirt. It was worn on the red carpet exactly as it is so these small flaws obviously have no impact when worn

Bust: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 63" from top of shoulder to front hem, 68" to back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4632

Reference Photos: Rupi Kaur in this dress for the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars Event, 2024.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

When hunting for the provenance of this dress we found its twin attributed as being from Spring 2007 but I feel like it could be from somewhere between that the 2004 collection where he used ties like this one has to hold the dresses onto the body. I know I have seen this one somewhere at some point so one day on the future I am sure I will send its new owner a reference photo. It is one of the pieces that would have been made in limited quantities and it is utterly spectacular. It also has the significance of being from the final few years that Mr. Valentino was still designing before he retired. It is incredibly beautiful and it might even make an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event.

This soft romantic pink silk chiffon dress is stunning on the body. The layers of chiffon float over each other to allow it to drape beautifully over the body and highlight your every curve in a very flattering way. The bodice has a soft and romantic feel to it and it is finished with his signature tiny pleat work that follows the way the silk has been laid out. A panel wraps around the top of the bodice and then under that more panels are set on angles that cross each other. At the side it splits and extends into two long ties that open out into silk chiffon panels that you then wrap and tie across the back. Panels of chiffon extend out from the top of the bodice to tie behind the neck and then there is a final little tie at the small of your back. This leaves bits of your back exposed and bare. Despite the romantic feel the dress has this gives it a very sexy feel at the same time. It is just tremendously beautiful. The way that all of the panels and ties are set are done to perfectly emphasize your curves and add that signature Valentino femininity. The workmanship is exquisite. Under the bodice there is a little panel of chiffon that floats around the hips. The skirt skims over the hips under that and then falls to the floor in a beautiful drape of chiffon. The front centre of the skirt is split. This lets you see a mile of leg as you walk or sit and it also gives you a sense of the three layers of silk chiffon that make up the skirt. The split allows the air to catch the layers and float around you as you walk. The skirt extends down slightly longer at the back so that you get a pretty sweeping feel as you walk. The fabric is feather light. It is incredible and I love it. No matter how good it looks in the photos when this is on and moving it is even better. Excellent condition.

Fully lined with pink silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set zipper at the low back waist and ties in place above that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a vintage Valentino 8. The ties make it adjustable, so this should fit a range of sizes

Bust: 15-16" flat across from side seam to side seam and adjustable an inch or two from there with the back ties
Waist: adjustable with tie 
Seam at the top of the hip/ low waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam 
Hips: to 19 flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from neck to front hem, 75" to the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4602

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This dress is the twin of Look 3 for the Pre-Fall 2020 collection. For this collection Pierpaolo paid homage to the Fall 1968 Haute Couture collection and I have included the reference photos of those original pieces here. This famous print was originally done by Mr Valentino and were inspired by the blue and white in Chinese Delft print vases. It is also very close in style to the 2013 Valentino dress that was a part of the in the Met Museums 2015 "China: Through the Looking Glass" exhibit. When speaking of this collection to Vogue Piccioli said; “I want to maintain couture’s values even in the pre-fall collection. I like the idea of breaking its rules and translating them into a modern, spontaneous wardrobe, making something historical become contemporary.” and they went on to mention this print in particular saying that 'he picked from the archives... a beautiful print of Delft blue vases from a sophisticated 1968 couture collection. “I want Valentino to be lively and joyous,” enthused Piccioli. “For me, beauty means life, emotion, something that vibrates and is full of energy—not something removed that you look at from afar, as if on a pedestal.” Mary Holland wore its twin to a premier that season as well. It is beautiful and very special.

The dress is pristine and utterly beautiful. It is made of a feather light silk organza that has been printed with that beautiful blue and white design that gives a nod do the 1968 couture collection as described above. It is magical. The colour combines the soft ivory backdrop with that dreamy blue floral print. The print is beautiful and intricate. I love how he has placed the print over the bodice and skirt to accentuate the design and flow of the dress. The silk is feather light in weight and just floats beautifully over the body once on. It will softly move with the slightest breeze or movement on your part. The dress has a second layer of organza through the bodice and skirt which gives it just a touch less transparency and also helps to add to the airy and light feel that it has. The sleeves are a single layer of silk so you see your arm through the pattern. The neckline has a small neat collar and it buttons to close done the bodice with hidden set buttons. Note how careful the patterns has been lined up across the panel there. The bodice lightly skims over you to the nipped in waist. Each sleeve ends in a beautiful ruffles cuff. The skirt is spectacular. It is lazy gathered through the waist scene and then opens up to be very full to the floor. Because of the layering of the organza with the outer layer in the inner layer, it just floats and moves around you spectacularly when you move. It a just gorgeous and even better in person as you get more of a sense of the lightness of that stunning printed silk. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition

Lined in silk organza as described above. I buttons down the front with hidden set buttons under that front panel and zines to close with a hidden set zipper down the back. Tagged a modern Valentino 40

Sleeves: 21.5"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 15.5-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12,5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Total Length: 65" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4588

Reference Photos: (1) Pre-Fall 2020 Valentino, Look 3.  /  (2) Models in Valentino, British Vogue, September 1968.  /  (3) Valentino dresses at the MET Exhibition "China: Through the Looking Glass", 2015.  /  (4) Model in  Valentino Autumn 1968 Gown, photographed by Steven Meisel, 2015.  /  (5) Mary Holland in Valentino at the premiere of "Happiest Season", November 2020.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

Bill Gibb was one of the most influential designers in 1970s Britain and his clothes were sought out and worn by the rich and famous. His work has a high fantasy element and he was crowned Designer of the Year in 1970. Much of his work verged on couture and he was unrelenting in striving for perfection. I love finding his worn becasue its rare and exceptionally well made. It represents the more fantastical side of British fashion during this time period and I love that. 

The dress is made from a silk chiffon that has been dyed to a deep fuchsia that gradually darkens to a deep mauve as it loves across the dress. I love the depth this creates and how it highlights the parts of the dress. The sleeves are wide and come out from just above the gathered waist. They narrow down to their ends from there. The front and back both dip into a deep V and the neckline sits wide across the shoulders. There is a little silk flower finished with sequins nestled at the base of the V. From just under the bust to the top of the hips the silk is gathered and fitted for shape. The skirt falls to the floor from there in a sweep of silk chiffon. Pink glitter is fused onto the silk and it catches the light with your every move. Under the top layer of silk on the skirt is an inner lining in a pale silver blue . The two colours layered over each other adds an extra dimension to the skirt that is even better in person. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined in a pale silver blue silk and closes with a side metal and nylon zipper. There are hook and eye along part of the bottom seaming of the arm on that side as well. Big iridescent glass buttons on each cuff. Small areas here and there where the glitter has fallen off but it is minimal and I am being picky. 

Sleeves: approx 23"
Shoulders: no defines seam
Bust: no true side seams so open and variable
Natural waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at bottom of gatherings 24" down from the shoulder: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam, skirt is open under that
Length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3068

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is a fabulous three-piece complete set circa 1972 from the Valentino boutique label. Valentino launched his ready-to-wear label in 1962 just two years after opening his first salon in Rome. His work was so popular that when he launched the New York boutique in the fall of 1970 it shut down the city. Traffic was backed up 3 blocks with everyone who was anyone trying to get in on opening night. He wanted everyone to have access to the Valentino experience and he often brought in the designs that he created for his main couture label into the boutique work. In these early days pieces were remarkably close in quality and the line between the two labels was often blurred. On this set you can see that in the hand finishing that is has. Though I have seen various combinations of these pieces this is the first time I've seen all three sold as a proper full set. I love it.

This really is an incredible set and it shows his love of prints. I love how all three pieces use the same print layered on top of each other and the combination of the two fabrics. The skirt and jacket are made out of a flat pile cotton velvet and the top is made out of a scarf weight silk. A charming acorn pattern combined with flowers covers all three pieces and you will notice how the design on the skirt and jacket are weighted heavier towards the bottom. This draws the eye downwards and cleverly gives added length to the wearer. On the top the pattern is scattered evenly over the entire bodice which gives a slight contrast to the other two pieces. The skirt is banded at the waist and skims over the hips. There are pockets on each hip for the perfect slouchy feel. It falls to the floor in a slight A-line that perfectly showcases that gorgeous print. The jacket is also made of a velvet and it has an equally simple cut. It has soft shoulders and the sleeves end just above each wrist depending on the length of your arms. There is a yoked seam across the top of the bodice on the front and the back and then the jacket falls in a soft A0line from there to just past the hips. The jacket also has pockets and these are sat at each hip on a slight slant. It has no closures and is meant to just sit over the little silk top underneath. The top is everything you want from a piece from the 1970s. It has a structured and very pointed little collar and it buttons down the front. It is shaped to follow the curves of the body and then the sleeves are phenomenal. Each is cuffed and above that there is that beautifully shaped arm that balloons out extensively just above the cuff. I love that the three pieces are phenomenal when worn together but they are also pieces that you can easily mix-and-match with everything else in your wardrobe. Excellent condition.

The top is unlined and buttons to close at the front. There are two buttons on each cuff. It is tagged a size 6 and I see evidence that the back was let out a touch. The jacket is fully lined in a brown silk. It has no closures and it is tagged a vintage Valentino 10. The skirt closes with a flat hook and eye at the waist and a zipper below that. It is lined in a black silk and it is tagged a vintage Valentino size 8. It has pockets on each hip

Top
Sleeves: 26" and the upper arm measures 12" around
Shoulders: 14.25"
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 22" from neck to hem

Jacket
Sleeves: 21" and the upper arm measures 12" around
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: open
Total length: 31" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 40" from waist to hem with 5.5" turned under

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4705

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is a very beautiful example of Halston's work using cashmere during this time period. He was a master at combining function and ease but without sacrificing glamour. He did this with the absolute minimum of seaming that a garment required. They seem so very simple but they are not. This one had a Halston tag when I acquired it many years ago but unfortunately it was lost during the cleaning process. 

This is a great jumpsuitl. It is  made out of a soft black cashmere and is strapless. Inside is a fall, built and boned corset that holds the jumpsuit into place. This inner core set closes with a series of lingerie hook and eye, and then the jumpsuit zips to close over that. The cashmere is attached along the top edge of the neckline, and then just glides over that inner peace. The waist is easy on the outside, but you're cinched in inside. It skims over the hips, and then the lay. The width of the legs gives it some movement when it's on, and elevate the feel of the jumpsuit. I love the simplicity of the peace, and how you can change it by layering something underneath it over it, or just simply wear it on its own. In the book 'Halston; An American Original' they talk about Halston's cashmere pieces and quote Polly Mellen as saying: "His cashmere pieces to the floor... they were very cozy and at the same time elegant". It is said that all of his cashmere pieces were inspired by a close associate that was a dance instructor and were intended to give the body complete freedom because of their ease of movement they have when you wear one. Excellent condition.

Unlined and with a built-in inner boned corset. The corset hooks to close at the back and the jumpsuit zips to close with a hidden sets zipper over that. Unlabeled

Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 54" from top of bodice to hem
Inseam: 33.5"
Gusset: 21.5" from the top of the back to the inner seam

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD4699

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

Hanae was the first woman of Japanese descent to have presented on the Paris and New York runways and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official Haute Couture house to La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Her work is exceptional. Hanae Mori excelled at these beautiful prints that combined nature with elements of her homeland. When I find pieces like this one with such a stunningly beautify example of her early prints I am very happy. I feel that pieces like this are among the very best representations of her work. This one in its pretty and fresh green colour palette is just so pretty.

This is everything you look for in a piece by Hanae Mori. It has one of her custom designed prints screened onto a feather light silk chiffon. Think the finest silk scarf you could have in terms of weight and feel. The entire dress has been printed with a gorgeous and romantic flower design that combines several types of flowers. I love that it includes some tiny little insects and birds flying over the flowers in the print. The neckline is high with a neat little collar. The sleeves are incredible. The silk has been gathered into the shoulders and this is the secret behind their fullness. From there they open out to be incredibly full and balloon over the wrists. I love that she used the parts of the silk that have the most extensive amount of the print on it for the sleeves. This perfectly picks up on the hem of the dress where that same extensive and dense floral print has been used. The fullness of the sleeves allow them to billow out around the cuff and create such a pretty effect once on the body. From the neckline it cascades and skims loosely over the body and gently widens out until it reaches the hem. The dress is cut to simply float over the body. It does come with its original wide sash belt that is done in a solid green and has been top stitched. This gives you the option of wearing it more cinched in through the waist. I have photoed it both ways for you to see and I love that you can add shape and completely change the look of the dress by adding the belt. This is a dress that you slip on and feel completely comfortable when wearing and yet it has as much drama and impact as you could ask for. It is a stunning example of her work and beautifully made. I love it. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Fully lined with a green silk and a full second layer of silk chiffon under the top printed layer. It closes with a back zipper. The sleeves are unlined. Each cuff closes with a two hidden silk covered snaps. The original tie belt is included. Hand finished throughout. The hem is finished by hand, but it looks like it was redone at some point by someone and I see a tiny little stitch of a repair on one sleeve. The loose and easy cut should allow it to fit a variety of sizes. It will just drape more on a smaller frame and be more fitted on a larger frame.

Sleeves: approx 25" and very full through the arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4688

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is the actual dress that is in the book on Thea Porter's work that accompanied the exhibit n her work. The photo appears on page 88. The caption in the book notes that this dress is a "Faye dress in ikat silk chiffon, designed by Sandra Munro, with a bodice of Damascus brocade". The Faye dress was named after Faye Dunaway and she made these in various fabrications starting in 1968. It also has a Giorgio Beverly Hills tag where she sold her designs starting in 1969. It was said that when word got out that Thea had new things in the Girorgio boutique, women ran to be able to get a piece for themselves. This print was very well documented and Thea made a small series of pieces from this fabric. Each piece was made specifically so that it was cut to follow the print perfectly. This is the only one I've ever seen made in this length and in this style. Given her extremely limited run on certain pieces it may in fact be the only one that exists. It is truly a very special piece.

The cut of this dress is exceptional and this is a highly recognizable design from Thea. The neckline is scooped and edged in a gold cord that wraps around the neck and then runs down the front. It buttons to close at the front in three groups of buttons. I love how each of the buttons are covered in the same silk as the skirt and sleeves. As noted in the book the fabric of the bodice is a Damascus brocade in a muted gold with pops of turquoise and orange. Thea was known for picking up antique fabrics in her journeys and this is undoubtedly a piece or sample of fabric she sourced on her travels. I love that you feel fully covered but there is a tiny gap between the two sides of the front bodice so depending on how you move you get the tiniest glimpse of bare skin. The sleeves are phenomenal. Each is gathered into the top of the shoulder and then they are a huge balloon sleeve under that. They are made from a single layer of the Ikat printed silk chiffon and the pattern is set horizontally on the sleeves. This makes it feels like it wraps around the arm right down to the elastic cuffs. The waist is finished with a wide horizontal band of that same silk and it is cut with a more generous feel. These Faye dresses were not a true caftan but they did have that easy to wear feel to them that her caftan pieces also have. The skirt has an incredible amount of fabric. Here the Ikat print was set vertically which perfectly contrasts all the other elements of the dress and adds visual length. There is a good amount of fabric in the skirt so it moves beautifully once on the body. This is an exceptional and extremely rare example of her work. Excellent condition with a small note below

Fully lined in a green silk and zips to close at the back. The buttons at the front are functional but meant to be decorative. Each sleeve ends with an elastic. I see a tiny bit of colour change to the lining near one arm and a slight darkening to the brocade on that side as well but it is very minor. The tiniest bit of a run in the fabric near the base of the zipper. Please see the photos after the label shot. The easy cut should fit a range of sizes

Sleeves: 24.5" and they are very full
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12.5" from top of shoulder to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 42" from top of shoulder to hem with 1.5" turned under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4690

Reference Photo: From the book 'Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic' by Laura McLaws Helms and Venetia Porter.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.