I have dated this gorgeous Bill Blass dress by the shot of Lauren Hutton who was photographed in a shorter version of this dress for Vogue in 1972. This longer version has the same open back feature as that one has and it also has a beautiful organza skirt that snaps into place over the silk taffeta dress underneath. If you loved the look of the Vogue shot you could even add your own flower to the base of the back and recreate it. 

By 1972 Blass was only two years into running his own company after buying Maurice Rentner Ltd in 1970 and relaunching the label under his own name. Even then you could see just how strong a designer he was. The dress is  gorgeous and is made from combining a black silk taffeta base with a silk organza skirt that attaches over the inner dress. The fabric choices keeps the dress light in weight but it still helps to hold the shape and volume that you see and gives the dress some structure and shape. The front bodice has a more formal feel to it with a high neckline that is slightly scooped across the front and set wide. The sleeves are attached with a slight bit of volume at the tops of each shoulder and then narrow down to a ruffle finish at each cuff. Set along the neckline is a high ruffle that adds beautiful detailing. The ruffle then curves back and over each shoulder and extends down your back to completely frame the open cut out that leaves your back bare. I love this unexpected bare skin moment that is in stark contrast to the coverage at the front. The skirt deserves it own moment. The inner skirt is a part of the main dress and it is made out of the same silk taffeta as the bodice. It is cut longer at the back and then curves up at the front so that when you walk you see a bit of leg. The entire hem is finish with a wider band of ruffles that picks up on the ruffles at the neck and around the open back. Then there is a second skirt that snaps into place around the waist line. This layer is made out of a black silk organza and adds a beautiful light fullness to the skirts. It floats over the inner silk taffeta skirt of the dress with more ruffled edges that curve around and follow the hem. The photos on the dress form do not come close to doing it justice. This is a dress that needs an actual body in it and then it really comes to life. When you walk the organza layer catches the air and creates this stunning billowing effect and when you turn to leave you have that flash of bare skin. It is utterly amazing. Excellent condition

The bodice is lined in a layer of silk taffeta. The dress closes with a low set zipper at the back. There are zippers at each cuff. The organza skirt layer snaps into place around the waist. Hand finished throughout.

Sleeves: 25" including the 3" ruffle
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt in the dress: 43" from the waist to the back hem and 30" at the front
Detachable skirt: 46" from the waist to the back hem and 43.5" at the front 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2990

Reference Photo: Lauren Hutton in Bill Blass, by Irving Penn. Vogue US, January 1972.

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

Bill Blass worked for the Maurice Retner label for 10 years as the chief designer. In 1968 the Bill Blass Inc label became a subsidiary of the Retner label . Then in 1970 he fully bought out his partners at the Maurice Retner label and re-launched it under his own name as Bill Blass Ltd. 1970 was the same year that he won his third Coty American Fashion Critics' Award and with it, his lifetime membership in the Coty Hall of Fame. By 1980 the company was doing 20 million dollars in revenue. He was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. By the eighties his work was even more ornate and luxurious than what he had done in the past. Prices for dresses could be as high as $5000 (which would be about $15,000 today). He was once asked why his clothes were so expensive and he replied, 'I'm an avid believer that we have to have clothes made in this country. Therefore we pay more money. ... The cost of labor and fabrication is what makes the clothing expensive.'

I have had versions of this dress in the shop in the past and I love it every time one comes in. It is bold and dramatic and it still feels perfectly on point with so many designers focusing on the eighties right now. Few designers would be able to make this mix of fabrics work. The neck is high and the sleeves are long. There is an inner silk chiffon bodice and then over that is an attached netted lace top. This is then covered in glossy black sequins. The winning through the lace and sequins are little rosettes that are made from a white ribbon that has been woven through the netting and stitched into place in little twirls. Blass used dots in his work quite often and the ribbon work that has been done is a bit of a play on his signature dot pattern. The shoulders are padded and strong and the edge of the bodice is shaped into a curving scalloped pattern. I love how it sits away from the body because it emphasizes the waist more. Quite a clever trick. The waist is accented by a wide black silk satin ribbon that is attached to the inner dress. Under that the skirt falls with a nice bit of fullness to it. Inside it has an inner organza lining that helps to hold the shape but most of the volume comes form the pleating at the waist and the horizontal banding that helps to give the skirt structure. It curves out full over the hips and has a bit of a bell shape. Alternating stripes of black and white silk organza run all the way to the hem and each black stripe has a little band of lace edging it on both the top and bottom of the stripe. Excellent condition with a small note to review below.

The outer bodice is lined in a black silk and that sits over a black silk chiffon inner bodice. The skirt is lined with a white white silk organza. The dress closes at the back with a hand set zipper and the top buttons to close over that. Padded shoulders. I see the the slightest of darkening to some of the ribbon on the top. Too faint to capture in a photo but mentioned for accuracy. There is a minor mark on the skirt and a tiny area of fading near the hem. Please see the photos after the shot of the label

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to bottom seam of band at the waist
Skirt: 36" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3387

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

Glossy black sequins have been densely applied to a feather light silk chiffon to make top this amazing Bill Blass dress. These cover the entire surface of the fabric and each individual sequin has been meticulously placed and sewn by hand. This is a wonderful example of the high glamour looks that Bill Blass was doing during this time period. The neckline is cut into a low V above a nipped in waist. The sleeves have been left unlined so you get a touch more transparency between the spaces between the sequins. The waist is nipped in and the skirt falls to the floor and is quite full. The skirt is attached to the waist in a series of soft gathers which help to give the skirt the fullness and volume that you see. These soft pleats are meticulously set around the waist and the construction is beautiful. Inside, the skirt has additional layers of of netting that are set under the lining. This also helps to create fullness and shape so that the waist is emphasized and the skirt hangs exactly how Mr. Blass wished. The hem of the skirt is finished with a thick band of glossy black feathers that are mixed with thin, metallic cellophane strips. This mix of weightless metallic strips and feathers is signature of Blass' that he often utilized in pieces that he used feathers on. It is really a remarkable example of his work. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined with a semi sheer black crepe through the main part of the bodice and the skirt. The sleeves and shoulders are unlined. The skirt has an additional lining of a starched netting in two layers to support the shape and give it inner structure. It closes with a back painted metal zipper and each cuff has a zipper at the wrist. The back does close from waist to neck properly but it was too small to close on my dress form. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5 from shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: approx 40" from waist to bottom of feathered hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3128

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 lines of this suit are beautiful. It really shows what a master tailor he was and how intricate his work could be. Both pieces are made from an ivory moire silk that has just a touch of the very pale set yellow to it in certain lights. The jacket is heavily embellished with embroidery and a raffia in the same shade of ivory. This monotone approach gives it a rich, luxe feel.  The detailing is down around the pockets above the slit cuffs ends of the sleeves and then there is a full medallion of it on the back. I love that even the silk covered buttons that close the jacket have embroidery work on them as well. The jacket is sleekly cut with lightly padded shoulders and long sleeves. The waist curves and nips in and the hips are cut on a structured rounded curve that is quite beautiful. The skirt falls to about the knee in a simple and chic pencil shape with a banded waist. Everything about the cut and line of the suit is done to allow that wonderful jacket to take center stage. This would even make a lovely wedding suit. Excellent condition with a small note to review below

Both pieces are fully lined in an ivory silk. The skirt closes with a hidden set zipper and hooks at the waist. The jacket buttons to close and has padding in the shoulders. I see one pinhead dot on the back of the skirt and some of the raffia at the very front has a slightly crushed feel to it. It feels immaculate when you look at it.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24.5”
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5”
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3492

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

For the April issue of Vogue in 1973, Lauren Hutton was photographed in a similar jersey dress by Bill Blass. The one that she wore was done in a black rather then the red that this one is. By 1973, Blass was only three years into running his own company after buying Maurice Rentner Ltd in 1970 and re-labelling it under his own name, making this a wonderful example of his earlier work

The choice of a silk jersey gives the dress a wonderful drape. It also keeps it remarkably light in weight so it is very comfortable to wear once it is on the body. There is a definitive Grecian feel to it created by the addition of that long piped tie. The ties are made from the same fabric as the dress and are meant to be wrapped around the upper body and waist. They are long enough that you could extend that down and over the hips if you wished. The neckline is high and the bodice is seamed horizontally so that you don't get any bunching of the fabric when you tie the ties over it. The waist is defined by a seam and the skirt flows to the floor in a cascade of jersey. I love the sleeves in particular. Each is cut extra long and with a tremendous fullness at the cuff. This gives them a bit of an Old Hollywood feel. It will fully zip up at the back - it is just a little small on my dress form. Excellent condition overall with one small note to review below.

Unlined and closes with a back set zipper. The waist stay inside the waist closes with hook & eye. Elastic at the end of each cuff. The ties can be tied as you wish. There is a faint watermark at the hem and it has photoed darker then it is in real life. Once on this does not detract at all. Hand finished, rolled edges. The red has a slightly more blue undertone in person. The fabric has stretch but the waist measurement is firm

Sleeves: 28"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist:  to 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 41" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2991

Reference Photo: Lauren Hutton in Bill Blass. Photo by Richard Avedon. Vogue US, April 1973.

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 dated this gorgeous Bill Blass dress by the shot of Lauren Hutton who was photographed in a shorter version of this dress for Vogue in 1972. This longer version has the same open back feature as that one has and it also has a beautiful organza skirt that snaps into place over the silk taffeta dress underneath. If you loved the look of the Vogue shot you could even add your own flower to the base of the back and recreate it. 

By 1972 Blass was only two years into running his own company after buying Maurice Rentner Ltd in 1970 and relaunching the label under his own name. Even then you could see just how strong a designer he was. The dress is  gorgeous and is made from combining a black silk taffeta base with a silk organza skirt that attaches over the inner dress. The fabric choices keeps the dress light in weight but it still helps to hold the shape and volume that you see and gives the dress some structure and shape. The front bodice has a more formal feel to it with a high neckline that is slightly scooped across the front and set wide. The sleeves are attached with a slight bit of volume at the tops of each shoulder and then narrow down to a ruffle finish at each cuff. Set along the neckline is a high ruffle that adds beautiful detailing. The ruffle then curves back and over each shoulder and extends down your back to completely frame the open cut out that leaves your back bare. I love this unexpected bare skin moment that is in stark contrast to the coverage at the front. The skirt deserves it own moment. The inner skirt is a part of the main dress and it is made out of the same silk taffeta as the bodice. It is cut longer at the back and then curves up at the front so that when you walk you see a bit of leg. The entire hem is finish with a wider band of ruffles that picks up on the ruffles at the neck and around the open back. Then there is a second skirt that snaps into place around the waist line. This layer is made out of a black silk organza and adds a beautiful light fullness to the skirts. It floats over the inner silk taffeta skirt of the dress with more ruffled edges that curve around and follow the hem. The photos on the dress form do not come close to doing it justice. This is a dress that needs an actual body in it and then it really comes to life. When you walk the organza layer catches the air and creates this stunning billowing effect and when you turn to leave you have that flash of bare skin. It is utterly amazing. Excellent condition

The bodice is lined in a layer of silk taffeta. The dress closes with a low set zipper at the back. There are zippers at each cuff. The organza skirt layer snaps into place around the waist. Hand finished throughout.

Sleeves: 25" including the 3" ruffle
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15.5" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt in the dress: 43" from the waist to the back hem and 30" at the front
Detachable skirt: 46" from the waist to the back hem and 43.5" at the front 

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2990

Reference Photo: Lauren Hutton in Bill Blass, by Irving Penn. Vogue US, January 1972.

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

Bill Blass worked for the Maurice Retner label for 10 years as the chief designer. In 1968 the Bill Blass Inc label became a subsidiary of the Retner label . Then in 1970 he fully bought out his partners at the Maurice Retner label and re-launched it under his own name as Bill Blass Ltd. 1970 was the same year that he won his third Coty American Fashion Critics' Award and with it, his lifetime membership in the Coty Hall of Fame. By 1980 the company was doing 20 million dollars in revenue. He was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. By the eighties his work was even more ornate and luxurious than what he had done in the past. Prices for dresses could be as high as $5000 (which would be about $15,000 today). He was once asked why his clothes were so expensive and he replied, 'I'm an avid believer that we have to have clothes made in this country. Therefore we pay more money. ... The cost of labor and fabrication is what makes the clothing expensive.'

I have had versions of this dress in the shop in the past and I love it every time one comes in. It is bold and dramatic and it still feels perfectly on point with so many designers focusing on the eighties right now. Few designers would be able to make this mix of fabrics work. The neck is high and the sleeves are long. There is an inner silk chiffon bodice and then over that is an attached netted lace top. This is then covered in glossy black sequins. The winning through the lace and sequins are little rosettes that are made from a white ribbon that has been woven through the netting and stitched into place in little twirls. Blass used dots in his work quite often and the ribbon work that has been done is a bit of a play on his signature dot pattern. The shoulders are padded and strong and the edge of the bodice is shaped into a curving scalloped pattern. I love how it sits away from the body because it emphasizes the waist more. Quite a clever trick. The waist is accented by a wide black silk satin ribbon that is attached to the inner dress. Under that the skirt falls with a nice bit of fullness to it. Inside it has an inner organza lining that helps to hold the shape but most of the volume comes form the pleating at the waist and the horizontal banding that helps to give the skirt structure. It curves out full over the hips and has a bit of a bell shape. Alternating stripes of black and white silk organza run all the way to the hem and each black stripe has a little band of lace edging it on both the top and bottom of the stripe. Excellent condition with a small note to review below.

The outer bodice is lined in a black silk and that sits over a black silk chiffon inner bodice. The skirt is lined with a white white silk organza. The dress closes at the back with a hand set zipper and the top buttons to close over that. Padded shoulders. I see the the slightest of darkening to some of the ribbon on the top. Too faint to capture in a photo but mentioned for accuracy. There is a minor mark on the skirt and a tiny area of fading near the hem. Please see the photos after the shot of the label

Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulder to bottom seam of band at the waist
Skirt: 36" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3387

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

Glossy black sequins have been densely applied to a feather light silk chiffon to make top this amazing Bill Blass dress. These cover the entire surface of the fabric and each individual sequin has been meticulously placed and sewn by hand. This is a wonderful example of the high glamour looks that Bill Blass was doing during this time period. The neckline is cut into a low V above a nipped in waist. The sleeves have been left unlined so you get a touch more transparency between the spaces between the sequins. The waist is nipped in and the skirt falls to the floor and is quite full. The skirt is attached to the waist in a series of soft gathers which help to give the skirt the fullness and volume that you see. These soft pleats are meticulously set around the waist and the construction is beautiful. Inside, the skirt has additional layers of of netting that are set under the lining. This also helps to create fullness and shape so that the waist is emphasized and the skirt hangs exactly how Mr. Blass wished. The hem of the skirt is finished with a thick band of glossy black feathers that are mixed with thin, metallic cellophane strips. This mix of weightless metallic strips and feathers is signature of Blass' that he often utilized in pieces that he used feathers on. It is really a remarkable example of his work. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined with a semi sheer black crepe through the main part of the bodice and the skirt. The sleeves and shoulders are unlined. The skirt has an additional lining of a starched netting in two layers to support the shape and give it inner structure. It closes with a back painted metal zipper and each cuff has a zipper at the wrist. The back does close from waist to neck properly but it was too small to close on my dress form. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Sleeves: 24"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 16.5" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 14.5 from shoulder to waist seam
Skirt: approx 40" from waist to bottom of feathered hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3128

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 lines of this suit are beautiful. It really shows what a master tailor he was and how intricate his work could be. Both pieces are made from an ivory moire silk that has just a touch of the very pale set yellow to it in certain lights. The jacket is heavily embellished with embroidery and a raffia in the same shade of ivory. This monotone approach gives it a rich, luxe feel.  The detailing is down around the pockets above the slit cuffs ends of the sleeves and then there is a full medallion of it on the back. I love that even the silk covered buttons that close the jacket have embroidery work on them as well. The jacket is sleekly cut with lightly padded shoulders and long sleeves. The waist curves and nips in and the hips are cut on a structured rounded curve that is quite beautiful. The skirt falls to about the knee in a simple and chic pencil shape with a banded waist. Everything about the cut and line of the suit is done to allow that wonderful jacket to take center stage. This would even make a lovely wedding suit. Excellent condition with a small note to review below

Both pieces are fully lined in an ivory silk. The skirt closes with a hidden set zipper and hooks at the waist. The jacket buttons to close and has padding in the shoulders. I see one pinhead dot on the back of the skirt and some of the raffia at the very front has a slightly crushed feel to it. It feels immaculate when you look at it.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24.5”
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5”
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3492

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

For the April issue of Vogue in 1973, Lauren Hutton was photographed in a similar jersey dress by Bill Blass. The one that she wore was done in a black rather then the red that this one is. By 1973, Blass was only three years into running his own company after buying Maurice Rentner Ltd in 1970 and re-labelling it under his own name, making this a wonderful example of his earlier work

The choice of a silk jersey gives the dress a wonderful drape. It also keeps it remarkably light in weight so it is very comfortable to wear once it is on the body. There is a definitive Grecian feel to it created by the addition of that long piped tie. The ties are made from the same fabric as the dress and are meant to be wrapped around the upper body and waist. They are long enough that you could extend that down and over the hips if you wished. The neckline is high and the bodice is seamed horizontally so that you don't get any bunching of the fabric when you tie the ties over it. The waist is defined by a seam and the skirt flows to the floor in a cascade of jersey. I love the sleeves in particular. Each is cut extra long and with a tremendous fullness at the cuff. This gives them a bit of an Old Hollywood feel. It will fully zip up at the back - it is just a little small on my dress form. Excellent condition overall with one small note to review below.

Unlined and closes with a back set zipper. The waist stay inside the waist closes with hook & eye. Elastic at the end of each cuff. The ties can be tied as you wish. There is a faint watermark at the hem and it has photoed darker then it is in real life. Once on this does not detract at all. Hand finished, rolled edges. The red has a slightly more blue undertone in person. The fabric has stretch but the waist measurement is firm

Sleeves: 28"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 16-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist:  to 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 41" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2991

Reference Photo: Lauren Hutton in Bill Blass. Photo by Richard Avedon. Vogue US, April 1973.

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