stavropoulos

Exceptional 1970s George Stavropoulos Couture Black Silk & Bias Cut Dress w Balloon Sleeves & Flowing Skirt

  • George Stavropoulos was known for his evening wear and his signature looks often involved draping and the use of silk done on a bias cut. He 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.
  • The dress is made out of a layer of a bias cut black silk that sits over two more layers of black silk chiffon. The inner layers are also bias cut and the three layers float over each other perfectly to drape over the body.
  • The neckline is scooped across the front and the shoulders are soft.
  • From there the dress falls in this extravagant swoosh of bias cut silk. It is cut very long and it falls over you with the seaming shaping the dress and giving it the shape that you see.
  • It skims loosely over the bust and comes in at the waist. A seam starts just under the arm and curves down in an elongated point at the front. This is what gives the waste shape. I love how the silk has been lightly gathered in along that seam for a tiny touch of detail. The same same repeats at the back.
  • From there it widen out to curve over the hips. The skirt falls to the floor under that with several yards of silk making up the skirt. The skirt is quite full by the time it reaches the hem and is close to a full circle around.
  • The bias cut lets it swirl and drape around the body underneath and at the same time it feels insanely comfortable to wear.
  • The sleeves are incredible. Each is cut so that they get wider as they reach the ends and then they have been gathered so that they balloon up and over a wide cuff. This gives them stunning movement as well as adding a striking element to the dress. 
  • It is immensely flattering once on and should work an a wide variety of shapes. If you wanted more shape you could cinch the waist in with a belt and it would transform the dress into a different feel altogether. This is a dress you will want to wear over and over for every occasion from day to evening.
  • The dress is lined with two layers of silk chiffon through the skirt as described above. The bodice has a black silk lining and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a back set zipper. Each cuff closes with two hidden set, silk covered snaps. The bias cut does have some give so should fit a variety of sizes. Hand finishes throughout and should be considered to be demi-Couture.
  • There is no size tag presence so please go by the listed measurements below
  • Excellent condition

Sleeves: 29" and will come up of touch once on. They are 14" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: 17-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5231

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.

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  • items less then $500, or that are on sale, require a 50% deposit with the final payment due in two weeks from the date of deposit 

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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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