description

detail

Sleeves: 27"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 44" from waist to hem
Inseam: 28"

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item#

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

description

detail

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 55" from top of dress to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item#

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

description

detail

Sleeves: 21"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 59" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent:

Item#

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

The label on this dress instantly gives us a date of between 1970-1974. 1970 was the year Janice Wainwright launched her own label and after 1974 her labels only carry her name, not the full ‘Janice Wainwright at Forty Seven Poland Street,’ that we see here. These four years are what has forever defined Janice and her work. She excelled at these embroidered pieces and the Art Deco & Nature inspired designs that she loved flourished and became one of her signatures.

This dress is a beauty and really a museum worthy piece. Her caftans and dresses by her during this time period and of this quality are harder and harder to find. As mentioned above, it has the added bonus of having the coveted, earliest Janice Wainwright at Forty Seven Poland Street label. Pieces with this label are from the beginning of her career and for me, really showcase her talent and are among the very best of her work. The base of the dress is a black chiffon. The bodice is what gives the dress its caftan feel even though technically it is more fitted then a typical caftan dress would be. The sleeves are cut wide for a kimono feel and her signature embroidery runs extensively down each of them and across the back of the dress. The front is cut very low with a loop and button holding it in place. The waist nips in and is highlighted with red embroidered piping. This same red line runs down the skirt, highlighting the sweeping lines as the skirt gently flares out as it reached the floor. It is beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk rayon and closes with a back painted metal zipper. The front button on the plunging neckline is also functional.

Sleeves: 21" approx.
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: open
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 12" from neck to waist
Skirt: 46" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2813

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

The label on this dress instantly gives us a date of between 1970-1974. 1970 was the year Janice Wainwright launched her own label and after 1974 her labels only carry her name, not the full ‘Janice Wainwright at Forty Seven Poland Street,’ that we see here. These four years are what has forever defined Janice and her work. She excelled at these embroidered pieces and the Art Deco inspiration she loved flourished and became one of her signatures.

This set is amazing and really a museum worthy set. Pieces by her of this quality are harder and harder to find. As mentioned above, it has the added bonus of having the coveted, earliest Janice Wainwright at Forty Seven Poland Street label. Pieces with this label are from the beginning of her career and for me, really showcase her talent and are among the very best of her work. It is two separate pieces and the base of both is a black chiffon. Both pieces simply slip on and are very easy to wear. The top "tabard" cut top is fabulous. It is cut into a wide T shaped on both the front and back. This allows the sleeves to be wide and have a kimono feel to them and the front drop over the skirt like an apron. It has elastic that runs through the waist and it ties at each side.  Her signature embroidery is done in sharp geometric angles that follow the cut of the tabard on both sides. The pink and green pop wonderfully against the black. Under this sits a skirt that is completely finished with Fortuny felling pleat finish. It is full length and the solid black of it serves as the perfect base for that spectacular top. Excellent condition

The top is fully lined with the same chiffon fabric as the exterior and slips over the head with elastic all through the wide waist band and ties at each side. The skirt is also lined and closes with a zipper and hook at the waistband.

Top
Length: 54.5" top to bottom
Width: 32.5" side to side

Skirt
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 44.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2811

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

This gorgeous little set by Hanae Mori has lost its tags but I can guarantee that it is indeed Hanae's work as I have sold a light coat in the exact same fabric and print in the past. So I immediately recognized it for what t was when I cam across this set. It is made from  a light weight silk crepe fabric and the design this overs its surface is classic Hanae Mori. It depicts a bamboo print and flowers dine in a white against a pretty blue backdrop. Here and there are scattered pops of pink where she added a larger flower into the design for a pretty splash of color. The top is cut to sit loose and easy over the body and is suspended form the shoulders from two little straps. I photoed it tucked out so you can see the entire print and shape but you can also tucked it in and/or belt it if you want a more defined waistline. The skirt is more fitted around the hip and then flares out in a pretty swing of pleats. It is very chic, pretty and since you can wear the two together or separate, the set is versatile to. Excellent condition.

The top is fully lined in a deep blue silk and slips on to wear. The skirt is unlined and closes at the waist with a zipper and flat hook and eye.

Skirt
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 31" from waist to hem

Top
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 25.5" from shoulder strap to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2808

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

This beautiful dress by Arnold Scassi has the most wonderful and romantic fabric choice. The color is equally as great and those two elements combined with the strapless silhouette make for a beautiful gown. I love the brilliant green and how the silk is covered from bodice to hem with a scattering of little hearts that are finished in a slightly different shade of green. The technique used to create the hearts is very interesting and becomes a design element in itself. A layer of bias cut silk that has the hearts cut out of it, is fused over a second inner layer of silk chiffon. This gives the hearts that slightly 3D, layered window effect you see. The dress itself is cut to create a seamless column at the front. It falls to the floor in one unbroken swoop of fabric from the bodice to the hem. This creates an almost sculptural feel. The back is gathered in pleat work under the small of the back and giving it more fullness and volume. Above this, four flat bows have been added to give a little extra detailing. The interior of the dress has an inner corset so once on it feels fitted and secure. It is just beautiful. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a matching green tissue silk and closes with a back zipper. It has in inner waist stay and the bodice is lightly boned. The skirt has an inner skirt made of two layers of silk and the outer skirt is lined in an organza. Both the inner and outer layer of the skirt have a wide banding of stiffened netting at the hem to help hold the shape.

Bust: to 18" flat across inside from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 52" from top of bodice hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD1453

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

This fabulous dress was definitely inspired by the work that Loris Azzaro was doing during this time period. At first glance you would almost think that it was one of his pieces. It has that same signature looped keyhole neckline that has a highly detailed embellished neckline just like his pieces did. This version is made from a fluid silver-grey jersey that drapes fantastically. The color perfectly off-sets the detail at the neck and it has a cool, chic feel to it. It is gathered up and around the bodice with all the pleat work used for the gathers converging into the center keyhole. The skirt cascade from just below the bus line to flow to the floor in yards of fabric. I love the neckline and it is absolutely the center piece of the dress. It curves up and around the neck and the straps are completely encrusted with faux pearls, densely set, glittering rhinestones and beads scattered in between. It is a fantastically sexy dress. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a matching color silky rayon and closes at the back with a painted metal and nylon zipper. There is some light scuffing/grubbiness along the hem but nothing that detracts.

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 11" from neck to empire waist
Skirt: approx 49" from empire waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2386

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

Pauline Trigere was known for her sophisticated pieces and her ability as a fine tailor. Her garments are often on par with demi-couture in how they are constructed and finished. Like Gres she was a master cutter and worked on a love pattern when pieces her patterns. She kept her business small and oversaw all the elements of it. This hands on philosophy shows in the quality of her pieces. This pink gown is absolutely wonderful and one of my favorite pieces to date by her that I have had in the shop.

The lines of this dress are beautiful and I fear that photos on a mannequin do not do it full justice. It marries color, simplicity and line perfectly. The silk is a good weight and dyed a vivid pink that instantly catches the eye. There are no embellishments on the dress so the color and line carry all the drama of it. The bodice is if fitted and with a V neckline and this then nips in at the waist before the skirt flows to the floor in a voluminous cascade of silk. The sleeves and their volume balance out the skirt.  Each is cut to sit just above the elbow and is fitted into the shoulders in a way that allows for that pouf effect. They are fabulous and serve as the focal point of the dress. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a matching colored silk and closes with a back painted metal zipper. Hand finished. Very high end construction

Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16.5" from top of bodice to side waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2100

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

These were all the rage in the early 1970s and the Biba versions are the best out there. This one is amazing. It is an original Biba sequin vest done in bold stripes. I have a few variations of this in the shop right now and each is as fabulous as the last. This one has bold vertical stripes done in a vivid pink and deep royal blue. The entire top is completely covered in tightly spaced sequins so that every square inch is covered.  The base the sequins are on is a stretch elastic that stretches to fit. It is sleeveless and has a V neckline. You can easily wear on its own or slip it over something else. It's a piece that you can style this a million ways and add an instant touch of 70s glitz and glamour. It is iconic Biba at its best and a true piece of fashion history. Excellent condition.

Unlined and slips over the head to wear. It is elasticized so stretches to fit. The measurements are the approx comfortable range but it would give a touch more if needed

Bust: approx 17-18" flat across the back from side to side
Waist: approx 15-16" flat across the back from side to side
Total length: 17" from the top of the shoulder to bottom

Modern size equivalent: XS-SML

Item# S227

Reference Photos: (1) Biba City Girl, 1973.  /  (2) Biba Ensembles, c1970s.

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

These were all the rage in the early 1970s and the Biba versions are the best out there. This one is amazing. It is an original Biba sequin vest done in the prettiest baby blue. I have a few variations of this in the shop right now and each is as fabulous as the last. This is a very rare baby blue and the entire top is completely covered in tightly spaced sequins so that every square inch is covered.  The base the sequins are on is a stretch elastic that stretches to fit. It is sleeveless and has a deep plunging neckline. It crosses over itself and buttons at the front center waist. You can easily wear on its own or slip it over something else. It's a piece that you can style this a million ways and add an instant touch of 70s glitz and glamour. It is iconic Biba at its best and a true piece of fashion history. Excellent condition.

Unlined and closes at the front with fabric covered buttons and a snap inside - the row of buttons down the one side are decorative only. It is elasticized so stretches to fit. The measurements are the approx comfortable range but it would give a touch more if needed

Bust: no defined side seams
Waist: approx 14-15" flat across the back from side to side
Total length: 17" from the top of the shoulder to bottom hem

Modern size equivalent: XS-SML

Item# S229

Reference Photos: (1) Biba City Girl, 1973.  /  (2) Biba Ensembles, c1970s.

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

These were all the rage in the early 1970s and the Biba versions are the best out there. This one is amazing. It is an original Biba sequin vest done in the iconic rainbow design. These are the rarest of all to find. I have a few variations of this in the shop right now and each is as fabulous as the last. The entire vest is completely covered in tightly spaced sequins so that every square inch is covered.  The base the sequins are on is a stretch elastic that stretches to fit. It is sleeveless and slips on with no closures. It's a piece that you can style this a million ways and add an instant touch of 70s glitz and glamour. It is iconic Biba at its best and a true piece of fashion history. Excellent condition.

Unlined with no closures The measurements given are flat across the back but keep in mind the front does not close so there is room at the front of you need a little extra

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# S784

Reference Photos: (1) Biba City Girl, 1973.  /  (2) Biba Ensembles, c1970s.

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

It is hard not to love such a strong statement piece. Dresses with these over-the-top, elaborate sleeves are always a favorite and this one is just super. Despite all that drama created by the sleeves, the almost weightless silk used for it keeps it light and easy. There is still a soft and sexy element to it. The silk used for the dress is beautiful. It is a brilliant green with a ribbon finish that gives the fabric visual interest. This combined with the pretty pops of color in the pattern is fabulous. The sleeves  are the star of the show on this dress. Each is a dramatic panel of fabric that flows down from the shoulders. They are each a full 28" in length and trail down the sides. The way they move and flow when you move while wearing the dress is just incredible. The full length skirt is the perfect balance to the sleeves. On the bodice, I love the high neck. Again, the full coverage through the body really just serve to highlight those incredible sleeves. The contrast between the colors and the beautiful cut mixed with the volume of the sleeves is wonderful. Excellent condition.

The bodice and skirt are fully lined in a matching green silk and the sleeves are unlined. It closes at the back with a painted metal zipper.

Shoulders: 15"
Sleeves: 17.5" from shoulder to edge with a 28" drop from top to bottom
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 37" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2090

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

This spectacular gown designed by the American couturier, James Galanos shows how he combined that sense of American sensibility with Parisian glamour. It is chic and sophisticated and yet it is bold design and in his fabric choices. Galanos was particularly known for his evening wear and this gown is an amazing example of his work. His work was on par with French couture and the workmanship is fabulous. He is considered one of the great American couturiers and his gowns reflect this in terms of construction and quality. Galanos dressed actresses, socialites, even First Lady Nancy Reagan and his work is held in the collections of all of the major museums around the globe. Hie work was selling for as high as $20,000 a dress by the eighties whoich works out to be about $60,000 + in today's dollars.

This gown combines black and gold stripes and he uses two different fabrics to create a beautiful contrast in texture. On the skirt the black stripes are contrasted with a muted gold stripe on a silk taffeta. On the bodice he chose a black silk velvet with gold stripes made from gold lame thread. The bodice is constructed like a simple tee that skims over the body and has a nod to sportswear in its design. Below this the skirt is set into the waist in tiny gathers all the way around. The skirt itself is fabulous and is deceptively sexy. At first glance it looks and falls like a ball gown skirt but upon closer inspection you see that is is made from three panels. The full back one and then two on each side at the front. In between each and down the front you have a high slit that shows a flash of leg when you sit or move. Under the silk panels is a layer of tulle that is edged in gold. A row of functioning gold buttons go from the waist to the top of the slit at the front. It is amazing. Excellent condition.

The gown in fully lined in a soft, fine black silk through the bodice and the skirt has attached layers of gold edged tulle under the top silk skirting. It closes with a back, hidden set zipper. Hand finished. Functional buttons along the top front of the skirt. It appears to have never been worn.

Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from neck to waist
Skirt: 42.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD2357

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

George Stavropoulos was an amazing designer and his work is extremely overlooked in my opinion. He was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of multiple layers of silk done on a bias cut. He did not like overt, flashy ornamentation and instead focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. It was said that his gowns "seemed to float on air". He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. The majority of his gowns are almost entirely made by hand and to couture standards. By the early 1980s a gown by him started at around $8500 and they went up in cost from there - that starting price point equals to around $26,000 in today's dollars. So when you buy a vintage Stavropoulos gown you are getting incredible value for your money. The only reason many of his gowns are not considered Haute Couture is because he was not an official member of the association.

This is a wonderful example of his work. The print that covers the exterior layer of silk is a beautiful combination of different purples mixed with greens. It is completely made of a fine silk chiffon and through the skirt alone there are four layers of the finest, lightest silk laid over each other. All of the silk used is bias cut which gives the dress incredible movement as you move. You will note that I have photoed the dress with that scoop showing at both the front and the back. I did this because I am actually not sure which way it is meant to sit. It completely sits fabulously on the body both ways and I suspect that on each person one way will feel better then the other - or if you are lucky, it will be like you are getting two dresses in one. The sleeves are very full and each is caught up at the wrist so that they pouf out beautifully. I love the floral print. It is a work of art, very romantic and ethereal in feel and even better in person then how it photoed.  Excellent condition.

The inner layers of silk act as the lining and there are a total of 5 layers of silk in the skirt and another single layer through the bodice. The sleeves are left unlined. It closes with a low hand set, painted metal zipper on the inner layers and hidden snaps to cover the zipper on the outer.

Sleeves: 28"
Slightly inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner lining hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Skirt: 45" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2806

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

George Stavropoulos was an amazing designer and his work is extremely overlooked in my opinion. He was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of multiple layers of silk done on a bias cut. He did not like overt, flashy ornamentation and instead focused on cut and fabric to convey the beauty of each piece. It was said that his gowns "seemed to float on air". He launched his label in 1960 and soon was dressing women like Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand and Maria Callas. The majority of his gowns are almost entirely made by hand and to couture standards. By the early 1980s a gown by him started at around $8500 and they went up in cost from there - that starting price point equals to around $26,000 in today's dollars. So when you buy a vintage Stavropoulos gown you are getting incredible value for your money. The only reason many of his gowns are not considered Haute Couture is because he was not an official member of the association.

This is a wonderful example of his work. The color is the most beautiful and romantic shade of pale lavender over inner layers of the palest blue and creams. There are five full layers of the finest, lightest silk laid over each other that make up the body of this gown. Each layer is bias cut ad float over each other and move beautifully. The three most inner layers are an off-white colored silk. This is then topped by a pale baby blue layer of silk and then the final exterior player is that pale, pastel purple. This gives the gown a remarkable and unique color. That combined with the incredible movement that silk has as you move is fabulous. I love that you you get a glimpse of the other layers and colors. The entire gown is entirely cut on the bias so drapes to skim over your body when on. This is also a feat of technical achievement to have all those bias cut layers sit over each other so perfectly. The sleeves are very full and each poufs out beautifully above the wrist and are finished with a bead applique cuff. The front and back plunge into V's and there is a hand done applique of fine bead work that curves over  one side of the bust and down to the waist on the other side. It is a work of art, very romantic and ethereal in feel and even better in person then how it photoed.  Overall excellent condition with some condition notes to review below.

The inner layers of silk act as the lining and there are a total of 5 layers of silk as described above. It closes with a back hand set, painted metal zipper. There are some faint water spots/smudges scattered across the front and a faint spot on one arm. I have had it lightly cleaned when it came into the studio and these may come out more with a more aggressive round of cleaning.

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: Inset 13"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 58" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD1378

Shown photographed on Laura McLaws Helms by Kimi Selfridge.

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

This is a fabulous silk Sonia Rykiel set that really sums up her chic French girl style that always feels so chic and has so much charm to it. We lost Sonia last August and it feels even more special to know that this was a piece designed by her. The label tells us this is an early piece designed shortly after she launched her label or a few years into that. The silk is scarf weight and I love her signature combination of black with a chic taupe tan color. Stripes were her forte and this set used them beautifully. The pants are just perfection - they are cut wide with a slight flare cut at the ends and each is split deliberately up the sides. This split detail is mimicked on the tunic with also is split up each side. I love the way the stripes sit over each other once the two pieces are layered. The tunic is suspended from skinny straps and is cut to skim over the torso and flare out over the pant. My favorite detail is the front pockets that are sewn apron style and have a slight droop to them, again deliberate. This gives the set the final perfect touch for me. Together they are perfection but you could of course wear them separately as well. Excellent condition

Both pieces are unlined. The top slips on to wear with no closures and the pants close with a fine metal zipper at the side. Handwritten fabric tag. All hand finished inside. The seams on the side of the tunic are set inside out - again this is deliberate and a design detail

Tunic
Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: open
Hips: open
Length: 45.5" from neck to hem

Pant
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 33.5" from waist to hem
Inseam: 22"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2805

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

This is am amazing piece and a piece for a brave girl who wants to drop jaws. Its about as risque as you can get and even more so when you think of when it is from since it looks like it could have walked off a runway yesterday. The bodice is made of a texture black crepe chiffon with stitched lines running vertically from shoulder to waist. It is left completely sheer and the only thing covering your modesty are those rickrack panels of glossy black sequins. At the back the sequins run down the center of the back. The panels keep your modesty intact and the high neckline keeps it from moving. The waist nips in and is attached to the flared, wide legs. For the lower portion of the jumpsuit Varon used a textured "bubble" 3D fabric. It is amazing and I doubt you will see this one again. Excellent condition

Unlined in a black rayon and closes with a back painted metal zipper. Tagged a vintage UK 10. Pockets hidden along each hip

Bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Pants: 39.5" from waist to hem
Inseam: 27"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2804

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

This lovely dress is made from layers of black chiffon set in tiers over each other to create that pretty ruffled effect. This combination of ruffled tiers perfectly offset the black of it to give the dress a wonderful romantic feel. Each layer widens gently out as they near the floor and each panel of fabric is set so that it floats above each other and moves when you move. The bodice is cut with a slight scoop across the front and has two tiny straps that go up and around the shoulders. At the back it dips into a slightly lower scoop. I love that the straps and trim are a cream and each ruffled layer is finished with a cream stitch for the a little detailing. Note that it was a teeny bit small on the mannequin so on a girl that it fits properly it will of course zip all the way up, rather then being open at the very top as the photos show. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a black silky crepe rayon. It closes with a back painted metal zipper.

Bust: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14.5" from top of shoulder strap to waist
Skirt: 41" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS- SML if you are small busted

Item# E636

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

LaCroix was the master at creating the most fantastical gowns imaginable and I am immensely pleased to have this example of his work in the shop. This gown is absolutely beautiful and the colors and cut divine. It is made entirely from a fine, bias cut silk that combines a red-pink with deep pink dots strewn over its surface and covering every inch. The seaming is a nod to the 1930s and the asters like Gres and Vionnet and they are all angled and pieces together to crated curves and line. This cause the dress to curve around and hug the body while moving with you. The bodice is hand draped across the bust with one side sitting higher and suspended from a tiny strap while the other dips and is anchored by a wider strap. It curves on the bias, skims over the waist and flows to the dramatic skirting. Slits sit on either side of the front panel and these are kept from being scandalous with the wrapping of fabric at the sides. A panel of fabric is set into the back and this cascades to the floor and beyond in a beautiful train of silk. The bare back with its angled cut is the perfect finish. It is magnificent. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a silk organza and closes with a side set zipper. Tagged with the mainline demi-couture LaCroix tag and with a size 42 Tag. The bias cut will allow it to fit a larger range of sizes.

Bust: 15-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18-21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 63" from shoulder to front hem, 73" to end of train at the back

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD2803

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

I have a version of this dress in black in the shop already and am excited to now have a red one too. There are 4 or 5 Burrows dresses that I always look for because they are just amazing examples of his work, and still hold strong today. This dress is one of those. It is made of a fine, slinky, sexy jersey in red. This one differs from the black in that it ties around the neck and angles down and around from there. It then falls in a beautiful bias cut and ends with an angled cut. All the edges are finished in his signature lettuce hem seaming. It is the front bodice that is truly spectacular - it showcases a design done in sequins, seed beads and tube beads that pop against the red. This is all hand done work and you can clearly see that on the opposite side of the fabric. It is magnificent and a real collectible from a truly amazing American Designer who was the first African American fashion designer to really achieve international recognition for his work. Burrows won three Coty awards (1973, 1974 and 1977). He was also one of the five American designers to show at Versailles in 1973 when America was pitted against the French couturiers. Excellent condition

There was recently an exhibit on his work called "When Fashion Danced" and it was the first major examination of Burrows' work. Here is what the museum said of his work: "Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced looks at the period spanning the 1970s when Stephen Burrows’s meteoric rise to fame made him not only the first African-American designer to gain international stature, but a celebrated fashion innovator whose work helped define the look of a generation. With vibrant colors, metallic fabrics, and slinky silhouettes that clung to the body, Burrows’s danceable designs generated a vibrant look that was of a piece with the glamorous, liberated nightlife of the era. Through photographs, drawings, and original garments, the exhibition will trace Burrows’s evolution from creating eclectic looks for his friends in the 1960s to his work with the chic 57th Street retailer Henri Bendel to the floor of Studio 54, as he dressed such 70s style icons as Cher, Liza Minnelli, and Diana Ross."

Unlined and slips over the head with no closures. Tagged a vintage 4 but please check actual measurements. The fabric does have stretch so will accommodate a range of sizes - the comfortable range of that stretch when laying flat is noted in the measurements.

Bust: variable as there are no true side seam
Waist: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 58-60" from top of shoulder to longest point of hem, 40-42" to the shortest depending on high you tie the neck

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD2802

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

Similar Fortuny gowns are held in museums and private collections world-wide and they are becoming increasingly hard to find. A version in green is a part of the permanent collection at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (pictured). The description of that gown is so wonderful I thought I would share it with you here verbatim:

"Mariano Fortuny created a number of variations of his pleated silk gowns. In this model, he combined elements of the classical chiton and the peplos. A "tunic" is attached along its neckline to a long sleeveless underdress, suggesting the apoptygma of the classical peplos. This effect is further emphasized by the handkerchief points at either hip, which would have been seen on the sides of an authentic apoptygma. In the ancient Grecian peplos, the arm openings were positioned along the neckline edge rather than the sideseam edges. This resulted in a dipping hemline at either side of the garment when worn. Fortuny took this structural attribute and achieved the similar, purely decorative effect by cutting away at the tunic's front and back hem. Further, he interpreted the buttoned or pinned closings characteristic of a chiton's shoulder seams by connecting the topline seam of the tunic's sleeves with Venetian glass beads interlaced with silk "rat tail" cording. Fortuny was noted for his antiquarian intentions and scholarly treatment of classical dress, yet in the end, he invented rather than replicated a Hellenic style."

This beautiful version is a labeled Mariano Fortuny gown, circa 1907-1920. It is not perfect but still wearable and a wonderful example of his work. It's imperfections mean a huge difference in price. In hunting for a  comparable I found the very few examples out there to range from $10,500 - $16.500 and none were anywhere near this glorious color.

The dress is hand dyed to an deep raspberry, the pleated silk has a corded silk drawstring at the neck, short kimono style sleeves and an attached tunic with pointed side panels all of which are weighted with deep red, Venetian glass striped beads. The gown is in good condition. The silk is strong and wearable with no splits in the pleats. The pleats have softened throughout and this is the primary reason for the reduction in price. From a wearability point of view it has no effect and gives the gown a softer, more romantic, billowing feel. The beads that should lie along the arm to close it like the one you see from the Met are missing. You could tack the arm shut where a bead would be but I actually loved the open feel that gives it a modern look so chose to leave it as found. I see one spot that is lost in the folds and if held to the light perhaps a tiny pinhole or two but nothing alarming. Even the one from the MET seems to have the same softening of the pleats and I believe this occurs partly from age and partly as a result of the pleats being moved more in this area when worn. All the beads are present along the sides and bottom edge of the tunic. The color, style of sleeve and type of beads used place this in the very early years of Fortuny's career. It is signed along the tape at the seam.

It is 69" long from the mid neck at the back to the hem and the width will accommodate pretty much any size. The upper inside bodice is lined in a nude silk that is fully intact. Part of the seam was loose and I had it lightly tacked down along the edge.

Note that antique and twenties pieces are final sale. They will be packed exceedingly well and we only sell pieces that will stand up to the stress of shipping, however, having pieces potentially shipped multiple times through multiple customs and countries is too hard on garments that are historically important and deserve to be treated with love and care. Please purchase accordingly.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# DD2801

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

This black pleated full length cape is a wonderful example of Giorgio di Sant'Angelo's work and aesthetic. He first hit the fashion map when Diana Vreeland asked him to design clothing for a desert location shoot that starred Verushka in 1968. That shoot is now legendary - it created such a buzz that his clothing was instantly sought out by all the most fashionable women on the planet. In 1976 he dropped the "di" from his name giving us a post-1976 date for this. His pieces were sexy, bold and had a hippie flair to them that few other designers could match at the time. I love his work. This spectacular cape is constructed from an unusual perma-pleat fabric that is lightweight but gives it some structure and keeps the slim line  of the piece until you need to move around in it. It falls all the way to the floor in a full length swoop of fabric. The collar is gathered and it has ties running through it that allow you to loose or tighten that ruffle around the collar as you wish. This lets you have it so that it sits wide at the shoulder or tightly framing your neck. The lightness of the fabric gives it a billowing effect when you move and walk that is stupendous. A really lovely and romantic cape that will top just about anything. Excellent condition.

The cape is unlined and ties at the neck. It will fit any size

Length: 57-60" from neck to hem depending on how you tie the neck

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# C441

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

This is a beautiful and romantic bias cut black chiffon, full length cape by Adolfo. Adolfo often did custom work for his clients who ranged form clients ranged from the Duchess of Windsor to Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Gloria Vanderbilt and Nancy Reagan. He won a Coty Award in 1969 for his head to toe women’s design. I love his work and though you most often see his more conservative suits here and there these days, he was actually quite flamboyant in his work during the early days. This spectacular cape is constructed from a lightweight black chiffon that falls all the way to the floor in a full length swoop of feather light fabric. At the neck are very long, attached ties in the same fabric and the neck is cut so that it sits wide at the shoulder instead of gathered up around the neck. The lightness of the silk gives it a billowing effect when you move and walk that is stupendous. A really lovely and romantic cape that will top just about anything. Excellent condition.

The cape is unlined and ties at the neck. It will fit any size

Length: approx 58-60" from neck to hem depending on where you let the neck sit on you

Modern Sizing Equivalent: OSFA

Item# C439

Reference Photos: Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, for her weekly style column on our blog Curated. (Photos by Erin Leydon) Click here to see the full column >

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