• This dress is from the early-mid 1970s.
• It was made under the creative of direction of  Hubert de Givenchy.
• In 1952 Givenchy founded his namesake house on Rue Alfred de Vigny in Paris and quickly rose to fame as one of the grand couturiers. 16 years later for the 1968-69 season, he added a ready-to-wear line of clothing and accessories called 'Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique'. The line was initially sold in the United States exclusively through Bergdorf Goodman stores and was eventually available at other retailers as well.
• The line was still high-end and the clothing very well made. He launched this line to expand his customer base and it was made to appeal specifically to his non-couture clients.
• The fabric is a beautiful light weight black silk chiffon that has two layers of the chiffon for the top and a slightly more opaque layer of silk inside the skirt. I love the slight play on transparency between the top and skirt that this gives. 
• The cut of the dress is incredible and very easy to wear.
• The neckline is a simple scoop and the shoulders are soft. The sleeves are fabulous. Each is cut to be very full so that they balloon out over their zippered cuffs. The sleeves have no lining and I love how the silk has been gathered around both sides of the zipper. 
• The cut of the bodice is meant to feel more loose and easy. It simply skims over you to the band around the waist. 
• Stacked layers of elastic have been run horizontally around the waist to add shape. The elastic there also makes it extremely comfortable and easy to fit. 
• The elastic around the waist allows you to wear it lower down so that you get the full length of the dress or you can pull the elastic as high up under the bust as you want so that the top blouses over the waist and it shortens the length of the dress.
• The skirt falls from under that and opens out slightly as it nears the floor. A shallow slit runs up one side from the hem.
• As an added detailing there are hundreds of multicoloured rhinestones that have been fused directly onto the silk chiffon. They are placed both above and below the elastic that runs around the waist and are set in vertical rows that end at different lengths to create the pattern that you see.
• As good as it looks in the photos I feel like the impact of the rhinestones is even greater in real life. It really adds an extraordinary pop of colour with all the different colours of rhinestones.
• The quality of the fabric is beautiful and the workmanship in this dress is fabulous. It really showcases just what a genius he was that he could create such a simple piece with such a masterful hand. 
• I love the play on transparency the dress has and the dress in person is even prettier than how it photoed here I think.
• The dress is fully lined except for the sleeves which are a single layer of chiffon. It closes with a back zipper and the waist has elastic. Each cuff zippers to close.
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approximately 25" and they are full and open around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: approximately 17" flat across from side to side
Elastic waist: will stretch to to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from top of shoulder to the top of the 7" band around the waist
Total length: 57" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5729

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.

• Due to new customs regulations this dress can only ship to a Canadian address. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this or need assitance.
• This dress is from the Fall 1982 Givenchy collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Hubert de Givenchy.
• I believe this is the actual runway sample that walked the runway. The only photo that we have been able to find to verify its presence on the runway is one from the back but it is still a photo that shows that it is a runway piece.
• It would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
• The dress is unlabelled and it is made by hand in the same level other of his runway samples that we have had in the shop.
  
• The bodice and sleeves are made from a black velvet with a flat pile finish. I love how it is cut to sit off shoulder and leave a bare expanse of skin across the top of your shoulders. Two little straps curve over the top of the shoulder to hold it perfectly in place and then the sleeves drop so your upper arm is bare.
• The neck line and the very top of each sleeve have a finish of black feathers that add an amazing feel to the dress.
• The sleeves have been tacked into place along the edge of the bodice and they have an elastic running around the top edge for an easy fit.
• The bodice comes in for shape around the waist and then curves back down to the top of the hip.
• The skirt is spectacular. It comes out from the bottom seam of the top and explodes outward around you with incredible volume
• The skirt is made out of a fine black and silver-grey striped silk that has a pretty red metallic dot woven through its surface. It is the perfect subtle touch of colour and contrast.
• The way the feathers fall around the sleeves and upper bodice is just incredible. They also create slight movements when you move. This is a superb example of his Couture abilities.
• The bodice of the dress is fully lined in a black silk and the skirt is lined with a black silk organza. It closes with a back zipper and each sleeve zippers to close at the wrist. It is finished a level appropriate to a runway sample and all of the work is by hand. It appears to have been worn very little at all.
• There is no size tag present given that it is Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 17" from their open top to the end and the elastic stretches from 8-10" around
Bust: to 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the top of the hips: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14" from top of bodice to seam at the top of the hips
Total length: 59" from the top of the shoulder to the front hem and the back extends another 4 " past that. There is an additional. 5" of silk turned under the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5730

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 original Mexican sundress that dates to the 1960s or maybe even a little earlier.
• These were made by hand by local artisans for the tourist market. I think this one is one of the prettiest I have ever seen and I think I will be sad to see it go once it sells.
  
• I love that it has its original label inside as the label is as pretty and unique as the dress itself.
• These lovely little hand embroidered cotton Mexican dresses are works of art in my opinion and this one is an amazing example.
• The base fabric is a crisp black cotton that has been top stitched with little vertical pin tuck seams that cover the entire dress. These add visual detail and also help to shape the dress.
• Distinct bands of hand embroidered yarn flowers run around each sleeve, the band around the waist and above the lower hem of the skirt. That is what adds the bright pops of colour to the dress that you see. It is incredible.
• The neck line is squared off at both the front and back and the shoulders are soft.
• Each sleeve is cut so that it fall straight from the shoulder to the embroidered band and then underneath that it has these amazing cuffs that expand out to become incredibly full. Each is a full circle all the way around if you lay them out flat.
• A wide band of lace edges the bottom of the sleeve. You see lace used throughout the dress in between the different portions and parts of the pattern.
• The lace is all placed strategically so you get a little glimpse of skin underneath but are still properly covered. It is fantastic.
• The bodice skims to the band of embroidery at the waist and then the skirt sits under that. It gradually widens out to be very full by the time it reaches the hem.
• Everything about this dress is beautiful and it is rare to find one that is still so crisp and perfect. It is a beautiful dress.
• Unlined and closes with a painted metal zipper at the back. 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: 22" and they are 14.5" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14-15"
Bust: 16.5-17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 26" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 13" from top of shoulder to the top of the 3.5" band around the waist
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5731

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.