1960s Josefa Hand Embroidered Natural Linen & Black Caftan Dress W Incredible Sleeves

I love Josefa caftans and have covered the history of the label a couple of times in my instagram. They are like owning a piece of wearable art. Every single one of them was entirely hand made and detailed. They were made in Mexico in the late sixties to early seventies and were the epitome of Bohemian chic in their day. They are easy to wear pieces that can go from the beach, to exploring far off markets, to being worn as an evening piece depending on how you style them. I am always happy to find the really fabulous examples for the shop and this is definitely one.

This is a wonderful example of her work and it is gorgeous too. The cotton is soft and it is a dream on. Most of her caftans tended to be bright vivid colours so it is a bit unusual to see this one with in this black and ivory combination. There is still that pop of vivid colour though with the embroidery work around the neck. I love it. The cut through the body is full and easy. It falls from the shoulders and opens up even more as it nears the hem.  Panels are set into the sides to add volume and I love how those are a striped fabric that add contrast to the solid black and cream  parts. I also shot the caftan laid out flat so that you can see how this looks. Because the cut is more loose and easy over the body it is incredibly easy to wear. The sleeves are incredible You can see on the photo of the caftan laid out how they are cut straight across the top and then drop into long points almost to the hem. Running around the squared off neckline is a wide band of embroidered rows of multi-coloured embroidery all done by hand. This wraps over the shoulders and all the way around the back in the same way. It simply slips on to wear and is fabulous. Excellent condition with a minor note below 

Unlined and slips on to wear. I see a couple of very small spots. One on the sleeve and a couple on the body of the caftan. Some of the threads in the embroidered parts are a little loose. They could probably be clipped if this bothers you. Please see the photos after the label shot. They are so minor they have zero impact. There are some natural variations on the colour of the cotton here and there. The black is a little softer in person and the ivory a bit more a natural linen colour than how they photoed. It is even better in person and has a beautiful authentic vintage patina. The loose cut will allow it to fit a range of sizes.

Sleeves: 39" to the longest point
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 27" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 57" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4324

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