In 1951, 27 year old James Galanos launched his first label called Galanos Originals. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. His ready-to-wear line was made close to couture standards and with a level of craftsmanship that was on par with the French couturiers. Galanos was a master cutter and draper and he used many couture techniques in his work. Grace Kelly was an early fan. He was truly one of the great American designers and his work is held in all of the major museums around the world. He is one of my personal favourites. This dress is exceptional and I was very excited to have it come into the shop. It would be red carpet worthy and it would also be an amazing wedding dress for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative dress in a more extended wedding celebration. It already has the something blue built in. And of course it could also be worn to any non wedding event too. 

I love this dress. The color combination is fabulous together and the two different silks that he used are the highest quality. Galanos excelled at silks and silk chiffon and this dress is a testament to that. It is very difficult to work with these fabrics and have them sit properly. The skirt is really where you see his genius. It is made out of four layers of an ivory silk chiffon with each layer stacked perfectly over the one beneath it. Then on top of those is a fifth printed floral layer. This final outer layer has a touch of texture to it that makes it incredibly beautiful. The layers are attached at the side seams and around the waist so that the hem and shallow slits at the sides can benefit from the full movement created by all the layers. This is what gives the dress movement when you move while still keeping it light as air. Along each side of the skirt is a panel of a liquid finish silk satin. This is a clever way to help the skirt hold its shape and give it weight so that when you move it always sits right. The side panels are actually extensions that run down from the bodice. The top is a simple affair that covers you at the front and leaves the back completely bare. It is gathered in soft horizontal folds across the bust and then those gathers tighten and curve down low at each side. Instead of wrapping around you to the back they drop and extend into those side skirt panels that you see. It is incredible. Tiny straps curve up and over your shoulders and then drop all the way down your back to the waist to hold the dress in place. The inside of the bodice is lightly boned and then lined with what feels like several layers of silk and structure so that you can wear it with nothing underneath. To finish the look he then added this spectacular and huge flower print on both the front and back of the skirt. This bold blue flower covers almost the entire skirt and makes sch a beautiful statement. It is like wearing a piece of art. It would also have had to have been all planned out prior to construction and the silk used for it done separately so that the flowers fell in the exact right position. As with most silk chiffon pieces it really will only truly come to life when on an actually body. It is beautifully made and feather light. Gorgeous. Excellent condition with a small note below.

The multiple layers of silk in the skirt serve as the lining. It closes with a low back hand set zipper. Hand rolled edges and hand finishes throughout. Light boning through the bodice. There is the very faint mark on the side panel of the skirt and some small ones near the hem of the inner lining. Please see the last two photos after the label shot. Slightly more ivory in person then how it photoed.

Bust: the total width of the bust across is about 16" and there is no back
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from the top of the strap to the waist
Skirt: 42.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4064

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

Galanos was known as the designer that could rival the French in terms of construction and design. He launched his atelier in 1951 and although his atelier was never formally designated as Haute Couture by the French, he certainly produced clothing that met the parameters of couture and he is often referred to  as one of the great American couturiers. This set was custom made, and my client acquired it from the estate of 1950s model Betsy Pickering Kaiser. Betsy appeared on several Vogue covers in the 1950s and it was during that time period time period that she met Galanos. They were friends for over 60 years. She collected and wore Galanos pieces her entire life and was his friend and muse. He once told her husband ‘I would rather have Betsy wear my clothes than any other woman’. She was a constant presence on the International Best Dressed List and and was added to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame in the early 1970s. It is a wonderful thing to have such a beautiful piece of her history in the shop 

Betsy was a model and was tall and this set reflects that. It is cut to supermodel lengths and is beautiful. It is made of a beautifully printed, light weight silk chiffon that is combined with a metallic red lace. The entire thing weighs ounces and you will be delightfully shocked at how light it is in person. The silk has a washed water colour print with huge abstract flowers covering the entire surface of the silk. The pants are made of two layers of silk and weigh mere ounces. They are cut long and wide with an elastic waist that makes them easy to wear. Over that is a top piece that layers over the pants. The skirt part of this top piece is also made of two layers of silk chiffon. The silk falls from under the lace bodice to layer over the pants. Each side is slit open right up to the lace top. This gives it lots of movement and creates a light floating effect when you walk as the silk moves over the pants underneath. The bodice is made of two joined panels of red lace connected along each side. He placed them together in a way that leaves the sides in a low plunge to leave bare skin showing. This gives you barely there coverage and is very sexy. The lace has a metallic finish and is very fine and very light. I love how it is layered over a nude inner silk lining so that from a distance you look like you are wearing nothing underneath it. This entire top layer is suspended by four tiny silk straps that curve over the shoulders. The contrast between the silk and the metallic lace and the boldness of the colors is wonderful. Excellent condition

The pants are made of two layers of silk chiffon and close with a back painted zipper. They have elastic at the waist. The over dress is lined with a nude silk chiffon through the bodice and the skirt is constructed from two layers of the silk chiffon. The overlay closes on one side with hidden fabric covered snaps. There are a couple of very minor repairs and light snags near the hem of the overlay. This is a one-off, unlabelled custom piece made for Betsy and came from her estate. 

Over dress
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 62" from shoulder to hem

Pants
Elastic waist: 15-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Pant: 45" from waist to hem
Inseam: 32" from inner seam to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD2278

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

James Galanos was just 27 years old when he launched his first label called Galanos Originals in 1951. By 1954 he had won a Coty award and the Neiman Marcus award. By 1958 he was producing clothing that could range in price from $200 to $3000, an astronomical price for ready-to-wear for that time period. when you convert that to modern dollars and realize that it would be just under 30k for his upper range pieces. Part of the reason for those high price tags was that his ready-to-wear was made to couture standards. The workmanship and craft put into them were made to a level that was on par with the official French couturiers. Galanos was a master cutter and draper. Grace Kelly was an early fan and other couturiers looked to his work as inspiration. His work is held in all of the major museums around the world and he is one of my personal favourite designers. 

This particular dress reminds me of the pink colour blocked one that was worn so famously by Gloria Vanderbilt. It has that same feel created by his use of different panels of colour through the skirt. This is a technique that he used on several occasions and in several fabrics. The Vanderbilt dress for example was a silk chiffon and I have seen a darker, more column cut version in a silk jersey. This one is made from a silk taffeta and that choice of fabric keeps the dress extremely light while allowing it to have that wonderful volume that you see. The dress is extraordinary and is a testament to the couture construction techniques that he utilized in his work. The bodice is fitted with a slight sweetheart feel to the neckline. It is suspended by two tiny silk straps. The top port of the dress is lined in a silk but has no inner boning. It is meant to skim and hug the body underneath rather then to force a shape. The waist nips in and the skirt is set to feel very full with multiple soft gathers around the waist to create the fullness that you see. The skirt is made of four panels of silk taffeta, at the front here is a green on one side and a chocolate colour panel on the other. At the back both panels are the same blue as the bodice. All of the edges are finished with a gold cord that has been hand applied stitch by stitch. At the front the skirt is split quite high so that when you walk or sit you get an very unexpected flash of bare leg. The silk taffeta is so light that when you walk the skirt has a billowing effect behind you that it just magical. There are no extra underskirts added for these shots. All the volume of the skirt that you see has been created by the cut and the fabric alone. Around the waist the fabric from the silk has been gathered and held in place by more of that gold cording and then the edges of the fabric is set in an elaborate series of ruffles above that. This creates the prettiest ruffled finish that wraps all the way around you, cinches you in, and adds a pretty touch of romance. The work is all hand finished and all the inner seams have a beautiful ribbon finish. This is truly a stunning dress. Excellent condition  

Unlined and closes with a back zipper. Ribbon edge interior seams. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Bust: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem
Front slit: 26" from hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XXS-XS

Item# DD3736

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

James Galanos was known as the designer that could rival the French in terms of construction and design. He launched his atelier in 1951 and though he was never a designer that was formally made a couture house he certainly produced clothing with many of the hallmarks that define couture, thus giving him the status as being known as one of the 'American Couturiers'. 

This dress is very unusual and I had a hard time deciding how to best have it sit on the dress form. It definitely works as a halter with the hook placed at the back of the neck. These leaves the upper back entirely bare and open and the ruffles that edge the halter run down the sides of the bust and around the neck. However, it also could potentially work with the hooks done up on the top of one shoulder. It does leave one breast exposed this way but I feel that you could wear it like this and have a bandeau underneath and it would be as amazing. You could also replace the elastic that edges the bodice and it would sit higher. The fabric is beautiful. The top layer is a floral print on a fine silk chiffon. Under that are four attached layers of a solid green silk and at the edges he has set these so each layer's edge can be seen. It gives the dress an opaqueness but it is still light as a feather. The bodice is finished with a ruffle that follows the curve of the fabric there. It wraps and hooks to close and inside there is a little label that says front on the inner waist band so you know which side to place at the front of you. The skirt wraps over itself and fall to the floor in a column of silk. It is fabulous. Excellent condition

Fully lined in the four layers of green silk. Hand finished throughout. It wraps and hooks to close. Elastic through the edge of the halter top. There is a small areas that does not seem quite as tight as the rest of it and I think you could tighten this and it would sit higher and cover the breast on that one side.

Bust: open
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bust: approx 18" from shoulder to waist but meant to drape a bit
Skirt: 43" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3398

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