Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice
< PREVIOUS | NEXT >

Rare 1950s Irene Lentz Black Silk Taffeta Dress w Pale Blue Ribbon & Lace Illusion Bodice

I am very excited to bring you our latest mini capsule collection. This is one of nine dresses from a single owner collection. Her collection was lovingly sourced over decades and she has decided that it is time let them back out into the world for others to enjoy. For this capsule we have moved forward to the 1940s and 1950s. Really good examples from this era are becoming increasingly hard to find and these are all gorgeous little examples of that time period. This is just a tiny sampling of her overall collection and I hope to have more of these capsules for you in the future.

Irene Lentz dressed many of the stars in Hollywood during its heyday and her designs are still highly sought after. She started by doing made to order dresses and in 1947 added a ready to wear line. She had replaced Adrian Gilbert as the head of MGM costume design in 1942 so had built a large and loyal following in Hollywood which put her in the perfect position to launch this new part of her label. This is a stunning example of the work she was doing in the early part of the 1950s.

This pretty little dress has absolutely beautiful details. The skirt is a black silk taffeta and its cut comes over the hips and then widens out as it nears the hem. There is an overlay of the same fabric set over the inner skirt and this gives it more of a flare as it reaches the hem. The overlay is cut in so that the hem falls in soft curves all the way around you. At the back it meets on two curved panels and these just fold over. I feel like you could potentially tack them into the place that best works on you. The bodice is beautiful. There is a band of pale blue silk ribbon that wraps around you from the back to the front. At the front it is finished in a large flat bow that completely covers the bust area. Above that a nude mesh attaches that inner bodice to the shoulders so that it stays in place. That is then placed underneath a full bodice that is made of a fine black lace. The neckline is set wide across the shoulders and the sleeves extend out from there with no seaming along their tops to break the line. The lace falls loose and easy over the inner bodice and the back is scooped low for a touch of bare skin. It is so pretty. This is a very rare designer piece from this era. Excellent condition with a small note below

The skirt acts as the lining of the skirt as does the inner bodice of the top. It closes with a back metal zipper. I see stitch marks of where the back flaps may have been tacked into place at some point as described above. It's been left as found so you can place it where it works best on you. I also see evidence that the back bodice was lined in the nude chiffon but it has been removed at some point. I see a couple of storage marks on the inner nude chiffon of the front bodice and there is some grubbiness along the inner edge of the bodice. I see a very faint mark on the skirt at the side. These are all minor and it presents beautifully.

Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 28" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# D641

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

Setting up a layaway is super easy and we are happy to provide this service!

Here's how deposits work on a standard layaway:

  • We require three equal payments of the layaway total. You will be invoiced for the first amount upon request
  • payment two of the remaining balance will be billed two weeks from the date of the initial deposit.
  • The final payment is due two weeks after the second payment and shipping will be billed on this invoice as well.
  • items less then $500, or that are on sale, require a 50% deposit with the final payment due in two weeks from the date of deposit 

Read More

We offer flat rate Standard UPS shipping worldwide. All shipping options are displayed at checkout in the pull down menus provided.

Want it faster?

We offer flat rates for expedited and express shipping options - these will also display at check out and can be selected with the drop down menu during the checkout process.

Read More

SIZE GUIDE

Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.