james galanos

Exceptional 1960s James Galanos Yellow Silk Crepe w Blue & Yellow Beaded Back Cut Out Top

  • The label on this dress gives us a date range of 1963 to 1977 for it to have been made in. 
  • It was made under the creative direction of James Galanos.
  • In 1951 Galanos was only 27 when he launched his first label called Galanos Originals. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award.
  • His custom pieces were made close to couture standards and with a level of craftsmanship that was on par with the French couturiers. He was truly one of the great American designers and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world.
  • This is a dress that is extremely well made with a very high level of construction techniques.
  • The body of the dress is made from a yellow silk crepe that is cut on the bias and that has a slight texture to it. This is topped with a hand beaded bodice that is completely covered in a combination of yellow and blue glass tube beads.
  • The straps are detailed with handset rows of the yellow beads set vertically and stacked side by side as they curve over the shoulders. 
  • Over the bodice the beads are set horizontally to form stripes in different thicknesses. I love that they have mixed the deep royal blue beads with the yellow. These run all the way around the entire bodice from front to back.
  • At the front, the fabric extends down at touch to attach into the waist and more beads are added there to form a thick band that runs all the way around the waist. Below the seam where they attach there is another inch of beadwork that wraps around you.
  • At the front the bodice extends out into the straps and is meant to be more fitted to you. Starting at each side the fabric and beads split and this creates a full cut out open at the back so you get a strip of bare skin exposed. It is fantastic.
  • The skirt skims over the hips and then flares out dramatically as it reaches the floor. The extra fabric in the skirt gives you beautiful movement as you move.
  • As good as this dress looks in the photos, I think that it is so much better in person it is almost ridiculous. It is a really outstanding piece by him.
  • The dress is fully lined in a handset yellow silk chiffon. There is elastic around the inner waist that just helps to hold it in place so it doesn't dip too much at the back. It closes with a side zipper on the bodice and then a second side zipper from the waist down. All of the bead work is done by hand and there are hand finishes throughout the dress. This is made to Demi Couture level.
  • There is no size tag present.  Please go by the measurements below.
  • Excellent condition

Bust: 16-16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Total length: 60" from top of shoulder to hem with 1.5" turned under the hem.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5623

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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.

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