Jacques Fath showed his first collection of just twenty garments in the spring of 1937. It was well received and he steadily built a strong clientele to become of of the busiest ateliers in Paris. The Fath label was shuttered in 1957 after Fath's death three years earlier. In 1992 the label was revived for a short period of time  and Dutch designer Tom Van Lingen was charged with bringing the label back to life. He remained at the helm from 1992 to 1997. This gown is from that time period and comes from the same woman whose estate I have been working through. She loved dresses with a true ballgown skirt and this particular dress is exceptional.

This dress is stunning. It is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding piece for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. The dress is made from a pale pink silk shantung that is very beautiful. It photoed very well but the richness of the fabric and the colour of the silk is even better in person. It is a soft and romantic pale pink. The silk is just heavy enough to hold the shape and structure of the dress. It does have weight to it but even with all of that fabric it is not so heavy that it is uncomfortable to wear. The shape and volume you see is held by built in underskirts and if you wanted to go even fuller you could easily add a extra crinoline. The skirt extends up with vertical seaming to become a very fitted waist that ends just under the bust. The bust above that is shaped into a soft halter style that extends up to wrap around the back of the neck and close. It dips onto a V at the front. The entire bodice is densely covered with hand done bead work. Thousands of little seed beads, beads and faux pearls cover every inch and are overlapped on top of each other and over a silver thread base. It is incredible to see. The back of the dress is very dramatic. It is trained so that it flows out behind you in a dramatic swoop of fabric. The inside lining has a wide inner bands of stiffened netting to help hold the skirt and keep the shape. The upper back is kept completely bare to the waist. Over this goes a matching cropped bolero jacket that is all cut on beautiful and graceful curves. It simple slips on and precisely follows the curves of the dress at the back and then curves up around you to the neat little collar at the front. Like the bodice of the dress, the bolero is also completely covered with the same extensive hand beading. It feels like a piece of art or wearable jewellery. It is utterly gorgeous and a beautiful thing to see in person. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

The bust is lined in a pale pink silk organza. The skirt is lined with a inner tulle and net skirting that has two separate layers. There are wide bands of stiffened netting through the inner skirts. The inner skirt hooks to close and then the exterior layer zips to close over that. There is a inner waist stay that hooks to close. The jacket slips on to wear with no closures. Padding in the shoulders of the jacket. Hand finishes throughout. I see some minor missing beads at the hook at the back of the neck and some slight damage to the organza on the lining near the hooks there as well. Please see the two photos after the label shot. Maybe the slightest tough of grubbiness to the edge of the hem. These are very minor. 

Dress
Bust: each triangle is approx 6.5" across at the widest point
Seam under the bust: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11" from neck to bottom seam of the band under the bust
Full length including bodice: approx 57" from neck to front hem, 64" to back hem

Bolero
Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 15.5" from neck to back hem

 Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3902

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

Jacques Fath showed his first collection of just twenty garments in the spring of 1937. It was well received and he steadily built a strong clientele to become of of the busiest ateliers in Paris. The Fath label was shuttered in 1957 after Fath's death three years earlier. In 1992 the label was revived for a short period of time  and Dutch designer Tom Van Lingen was charged with bringing the label back to life. He remained at the helm from 1992 to 1997. This gown is from his Spring 1996 collection and it may have been a custom piece. On the runway variations of it were shown that all had a tighter and more fitted skirt. This look draws heavy and gives a nod to the work Fath was doing in 1951 and I have included those reference photos here as well so you can see the homage to the label's origins. This is from the fabulous woman whose estate I have been working through and she had a love for a true ballgown skirt and this one is wonderful. I am very happy to have a couple of the shots from the runway show so that you can get an idea of how incredible the dress will be once on the body. It is gorgeous and the colours are the prettiest combination ever.

This dress is stunning. It is red carpet worthy and would make an amazing wedding piece for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. Can you imagine this at a garden themed event? It would be amazing. The dress is made from a combination of a pale yellow, pink and green and the fabrics that Van Lingen chose for each element is just incredible. The silk is made out of a textured yellow silk and the colour is even better in person then how it photoed. It is a clear soft lemon colour and you get more of the feel of texture when you see it in person. It is just heavy enough to hold the shape and structure of the dress but even with all of that fabric it is not so heavy that it is uncomfortable to wear. The shape and volume you see is held by built in underskirts and if you wanted to go even fuller you could easily add an additional crinoline. It has a full built in cupped corset inside the bodice so you don't have to worry about additional underpinnings. At the waist there is a wide band of a green and white striped silk and this circles all the way around you. The bust over that is a confection of soft pink textured silk organza. It has been gathered in to form a flower like covering over each breast and then it curves down and around the back for detailing. A single layer of the organza covers the shoulders and then curves down into little cap sleeves that end in another burst of the ruffled finish. The entire upper shoulder part is attached with a simple stitch all around the top of the bodice so I think that you could detach it quite easily if you preferred to wear this was a strapless dress. Or perhaps have a seamstress make it so it could attach with hidden snaps so you have the option of wearing it either way. The back of the dress is very dramatic. It is trained so that it flows out behind you in a dramatic swoop of fabric. The inside lining has a wide inner band of stiffened netting that circles the hem to help hold the shape of the skirt rather then have it just drag behind you. On the upper back you have the transparency of the organza and a slit that runs from the neck to the top of the bodice for a tiny glimpse of skin. All of those details, combined with that spectacular colour mix, make it one of the best gowns I have seen from this time period. And in person it has even more softness to the colours. It is just gorgeous. Excellent condition with a minor note below.

There is a full built in corset made from a pale pink silk in the bodice. The skirts are lined with a inner yellow silk skirting and there is a wide band of stiffened netting at the hem as mentioned above. There is an inner grosgrain waist stay that hooks to close. I see a small amount of grubbiness at the edge of the hem and it looks like there was a repair done along part of the seam of each arm at some point. Please see the three photos after the label shot. Tagged a size 2/34. 

Shoulders: no defined seam
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under the bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of the shoulder shoulder to bottom seam of the band at the waist
Band at waist: 5.5"
Skirt: 43" from bottom seam of band at the waist to front hem, 55" to back hem

 Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3900

Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 1996 Jacques Fath Runway.  /  (4) Sophie Malgat in Jacques Fath, 1951.  /  (5) Models in Jacques Fath, LIFE Magazine, 1951.

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

Jacques Fath showed his first collection of just twenty garments in the spring of 1937. It was well received and he steadily built a strong clientele to become of of the busiest ateliers in Paris. He eventually expanded into the American market through the manufacturer Joseph Halpert. In 1948, Fath signed an agreement to produce two ready-to-wear collections a year with Halpert. Jacque did all the designs and then Halpert produced them in America. This was a clever way to avoid the high taxation on fashion that customs had implemented during this time period. This dress is from that early label and it has some extra historical significance since this agreement was one of the first of its kind between a couturier and a RTW company. Fath is considered to be part of the 'big three' post-war Parisian designers, along with Dior and Balmain. The Fath label was shuttered in 1957 after Fath's death three years earlier. One of his signature looks was a fitted hourglass silhouette and this suit has that in spades. It is gorgeous and a beautiful example of his work during this time period. 

This beautiful Jacques Fath suit dates somewhere between 1948 and 1954, the year that the Halpert company closed its doors and ceased producing. And if I had to guess I would put it more towards the earlier part of those dates as you can still clearly see the 1940s influence it has in its cut and line. It is made out of a deep navy blue silk that is so dark that it looks black in some lights. Many Fath devotees will tell you say that it was his designs that influenced Dior's silhouettes and you can see  that in the lines of this piece. It has that perfect cut of this time period that we do so often think of as being associated with Dior. The skirt is beautifully cut into a long lean pencil. The skirt is its original length which is almost miraculous after all these decades have passed and skirt lengths have gone up and down so much. The band at the waist flips inwards when you put it on so that there is no break to the eye at the top of the skirt and then it falls to just past the knees, coming in slightly as it nears the hem. At the back is a buttoned vent. Even though this is technically ready-to-wear it was very well done high end RTW and you can see that on how each button at the vent not only works but has a proper finished button hole to close. The jacket is cut loose and easy through the upper body as was the style during this time period and then the waist is nipped in. He loved adding button details and you can see that in the off-set to the side row of buttons that close the jacket. Their placement becomes an integral part of the design and adds so much detailing. The collar is round and neat. It follows the neckline all the way down to the first button. Each sleeve is slightly cropped and ends in a notched flare. I love this unexpected flare that adds to all the other stunning aspects of the suit. The silk keeps the suit light and easy to wear with enough structure to hold the shape. It is a piece that could easily go from day to evening with a change of shoes and accessories. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition 

Unlined with ribbon fished edges in the skirt. Beautifully finished throughout. The skirt zips with a painted metal zipper and has hook and eye on the waist band that flips inwards to wear. The jacket buttons to close. 

Jacket
Sleeves: 19"
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 24" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3869

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