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mary mcfadden
Stunning 1970s-80s Mary McFadden Couture White Pleated Dress w Attached Braided Belt
I Have a Question
- Mary McFadden patented her Fortuny inspired pleating technique just a couple of years after launching her label in 1973.
- This is from her higher end couture line that had a more limited production and was sold at higher end shops.
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Mary was known to say frequently that there was no greater beauty than pleated cloth on the human body and she said when she developed her 'marii' fabric that her aim was to have it 'fall like liquid gold on the body, like Chinese silk.'
- The dress is made from a beautiful white synthetic silk charmeuse that she sourced from Australia. This was her signature fabric and it was then pleated in McFadden's proprietary pleating technique.
- The shoulders are shaped with light padding and the sleeves fall from their narrowing slightly to their wrists.
- The neckline at the front comes down in a V and there is a matching V at the back. The bodice is made to appear as if it is crossed over you however it is all seamed and attached so nothing will move when you wear it.
- I love how one side at the front has three tiers of ruffled pleats that are stacked over to each other to just above the waist. The other side on the front and the back have a more simple finish.
- Following the neckline on the side that has the stacked layers is an attached braided tie that curves up and over the shoulder, runs down the back on the same angle and then meets itself at the waist on the side.
- The rope extends out from the waist and is very long. This lets you wrap it around the waist to add more shape. and still have a long length to let hang down the side.
- Each end has long tassels in the same fabric for the perfect dramatic finish.
- A band of the same fabric wraps horizontally around the waist and widens out on the same side as the ruffles over the top of the hip.
- The skirt falls to the floor from in a long column. It widens out slightly as it nears the hem and the vertical pleating help add to the illusion of extra height to the person wearing it.
- I also love that the skirt is cut very long which is a rare thing to find in her work. As she progressed in her career she preferred to design pieces that ended at the ankle so you could see the shoe underneath. Her full length pieces are a bit rarer.
- The dress is fully lined through the bodice in a matching white silk and the skirt is unlined. It closes with a side set zipper. Hand finishes. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: 25" and they are approximately10-15" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14-15"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of the shoulder to top seam at the waist
Total length: 63" from the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SMl-MED
Item# DD5734
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.
giambattista valli
Fairy Tale 2010s Giambattista Valli White Dotted Silk Tulle Wedding Dress w Full Layered Netted Skirt
I Have a Question
- The dress is 2010s Giambattista Valli
- It was made under the creative direction of Giambattista Valli .
- This is one of those ultimate princess, cupcake, fairy tale wedding dresses made with the fantastic execution that Valli is known for.
- The entire dress is made out of a dotted tulle and choosing this fabric keeps it light in weight while still being able to create the fantastic volume that the dress has. The dress is more of a true white.
- The bodice is strapless and there are two tulle panels that extend out from where they are attached at the back waist.
- Since the panels are only attached at the back waist you have the ability to style them in several ways. They can be twist over the front and wrapped back around the neck where it hooks to close.
- They could also be wrapped around the waist for a true strapless feel.
- Inside the bodice there is full built-in corset that is lightly boned so you have full support for wearing the dress.
- I love how tulle is wrapped horizontally over the bodice and then the skirt is set vertically. This combined with the dots in the netting create a subtle visual interest
- The waist nips in and then the skirt expands outward from there.
- I love the drama and volume that this creates through the skirt. Multiple layers of crisp white tulle are stacked on top of each other and this is what holds the volume.
- It has a very ballerina princess feel to it and is absolutely gorgeous.
- The dress is fully lined in a silk organza underneath the tulle layers in the skirt. It closes at the back with a zipper and the panels have hook at their ends to hold them in place. The inner bodice is lightly boned for support. It appears to have never been worn.
- Tagged a modern Valli 44
- Excellent condition
Bust: to a max of 34-35" all the way around
Waist: to 14.4" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 8" from the top of the bodice to waist
Total length: 48" from top of the bodice to the hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML
DD5733
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.
etro
Spring 2018 Etro by Veronica Etro Runway Look 3 White Cotton Gauze Dress w Embroidery & Sequins
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked the Spring 2018 Etro runway and was shown for Look 3 on the runway.
- It was made under the creative direction of Veronica Etro
- Vogue reported that the collection "displayed the really excellent cutting of Veronica's dresses. She doesn't need to drain her designs and gorgeous pattern to achieve gorgeousness."
- Even the stills from the runway gives you a wonderful idea of how fantastically this dress will move in real life. On the runway it was paired with a jewelled piece that was worn to follow the V of the neck.
- The dress is made out of layers of a light in weight cotton and silk mix gauze that is incredible. A base colour is a soft ivory, and then there is a secondary white print worked into the fabric. Added embroidery and sequin embellishments on the embroidered patterns are done to form a beautiful multi-layered pattern over the entire dress.
- The shoulders are soft and set wide across to the edges. These curved down into sleeves that narrow slightly to the wrist and are finished with a tiny lace trim. I have shot them at their full lengths but you can see on the runway photos they were worn scrunched to the elbow for added ease.
- The neckline come down in a soft curving V and cotton panels on the bust are gathered into twisting knots along the centre point.
- The skirt sweeps out from under the bust and from there it begins to expand outwards to the hem. By the time it reaches the hem it has quite a bit of volume. The back is cut slightly longer than the front so you get a beautiful sweep and movement when you move.
- The lower tier of the skirt is cut to be wider around to create more volume and movement in the skirt. It is set into the skirt above with more lace.
- The final perfect detail is the elaborate floral embroidery work that covers the entire dress in a matching thread. Onto many parts of the embroidery are added sequins that give the entire dress a beautiful texture from top to bottom.
- This is an absolutely stunning dress that is wonderfully constructed.
- The dress is lined in a layer of the same cotton gauze. The sleeves are unlined. It closes with a hidden set side zipper. I see a small mark that gets hidden in the folds of the skirt, grubbiness at the edges of the hem and there is a tiny stress area to the fabric at the top of one shoulder. Please see the photos after the label. Its easy cut should allow for a range of sizes.
- Tagged a modern Etro 38
- Excellent condition
Sleeves: approximately 23" and they are just under 12" around the upper arm
Shoulders: approximately 14"
Bust: to 17.25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: approximately 14" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to front hem, 60" to the back
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5732
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.
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From its humble beginnings in 2006 with just a dozen or so vintage pieces, Shrimpton Couture has grown to be one of the most respected online shopping destinations for vintage shoppers world-wide.
It is our mission to find the timeliness and special pieces that are cherished and coveted by designers, museums, celebrities and countless fabulous women around the world.




