This dress is absolutely gorgeous and it is very well documented. It was sent to me by someone that worked for Bill Blass. The dress was purchased from the company archives when the original label shuttered in 2012. Which means that this could very well be the same dress that actually walked the runway since it was from the Blass archives. It still has it's original tags from that sale and I have left them in place since they add historical accuracy for the dress's provenance. Kristen McMenamy looked spectacular in it as she walked the runway. I have included the runway footage here so that you can see just how wonderfully this dress moves. The dress was shot for an editorial for Mirabella magazine and it appears twice in the book 'Bill Blass: An American Designer'. It is truly one of the most spectacular dresses I have seen by him and is wonderfully pretty and romantic feeling as well.

The dress is made out of a combination of a pretty floral and a checked gingham. The floral part makes up the main body of the dress. It is a warp printed silk taffeta chine that is finished in a soft peach blush. This then has romantic bouquets of pretty spring florals trailing across its entire surface. The silk has the feel of an antique 18th century gown and I love this reference back to the past. The top is a fitted slip style bodice and the dress is suspended from the shoulder by thin silk straps that curve up and over and then inwards towards the centre. The beck is set very low so that you get a wide expanse of bare skin. The waist is set to have a slight drape to it as it wraps around you. The silk curves around you down the front of the skirt and then curves back up to meet the waist at the back. This gives the front of the dress a more long and lean feel but with a hint that something special might happen as you turn. The back is the star of the show. A checked underskirt flares out and back in a tremendous sweep of fabric. The underskirt is made out of a slightly heavier weighted silk faille in a yellow and white gingham check. The heavier fabric and sheer volume of fabric used causes the back to have a full beautiful feel to it. Many yards of silk have been used its construction and it designed to have massive volume at the back. From every angle of the dress you get these wondrous sweeping views. The combination of the two prints is just amazing. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have seen. Excellent condition with some a small note below.  

The bodice is lined an a blush silk and the gingham part of the skirt is interlined with silk in some parts and backed with a second layer of the silk gingham in others. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and then the skirt snaps into place over that. Hand finished throughout. Original atelier tags attached. The straps have been hand tacked at their base to shorten them and could be let out. The tops of each strap is delicate and shows some shattering but they are wearable as is. Slight grubbiness to the edges the hem and to the straps. There is a piece of fabric missing from the underside of a seam on the floral layer that does not show but that I am mention it for accuracy. The slightest of wear to the silk near the top of the zipper where it looks like someone pinned something there art some point perhaps. Please see the photos provided after the label shot.  

Bust: approx 16" flat across but there are no true side seams
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 60" from top of shoulders to front hem, 65" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3635

Reference Photos: (1) Kristen McMenamy for Bill Blass, Spring 1995.  /  Sheila Metzner for Mirabella magazine, May 1995. Dress by Bill Blass.  /  (3-4) From the book "Bill Blass: An American Designer".

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.

Bill Blass became the head designer at Maurice Rentner in 1959 and soon after that his name started to appear on the labels. In 1970 he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. These Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner pieces, are some of his earliest and you will find many of them, like the twin of this coat, in museum collections throughout the world. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seem to have a way of flattering the wearer even at their most extravagant. This piece has the additional bonus of being able to be worn as either a coat or a dress

This early Bill Blass coat is particularly gorgeous with its metallic gold and deep blue silk brocade fabric. The base of the coat is a deep blue silk. Onto this, in horizontal rows that run over the entire coat, is an incredible and intricate design that has been created out of gold lame and gold thread. The gold pops off the blue base and has a lovely way of catching the light. The coat has a bit of a military feel to it and I love how the pattern is laid out to highlight the high collar and cuffs. Flap pockets are placed on the front of the coat. One on each hip and then two more on each breast. They are perfectly set tot follow the pattern and each has a large bead covered dome button to secure its flap closure. The same big bead covered buttons run down the front giving the coat a neat and polished feel. The shoulders are structured but are not padded. There is a subtle fabric epaulette across the top of each shoulder. The sleeves are long and he took the time to make sure that the fabric lines up with the body of the coat. The fairly simple design of the coat allows that beautiful fabric to take center stage. An interesting thing about this one, it closes all the way to the bottom hem so could be worn as a dress as well. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a blue silk and closes with silk covered snaps hidden behind each hand beaded dome button down the front. All four pockets are functional. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 37" from neck to hem with 4" turned over under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C542

Reference Photo: Samantha Jones in Bill Blass, photographed by Richard Avedon, Vogue October 1968.

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

This dress is absolutely gorgeous and it is very well documented. It was sent to me by someone that worked for Bill Blass. The dress was purchased from the company archives when the original label shuttered in 2012. Which means that this could very well be the same dress that actually walked the runway since it was from the Blass archives. It still has it's original tags from that sale and I have left them in place since they add historical accuracy for the dress's provenance. Kristen McMenamy looked spectacular in it as she walked the runway. I have included the runway footage here so that you can see just how wonderfully this dress moves. The dress was shot for an editorial for Mirabella magazine and it appears twice in the book 'Bill Blass: An American Designer'. It is truly one of the most spectacular dresses I have seen by him and is wonderfully pretty and romantic feeling as well.

The dress is made out of a combination of a pretty floral and a checked gingham. The floral part makes up the main body of the dress. It is a warp printed silk taffeta chine that is finished in a soft peach blush. This then has romantic bouquets of pretty spring florals trailing across its entire surface. The silk has the feel of an antique 18th century gown and I love this reference back to the past. The top is a fitted slip style bodice and the dress is suspended from the shoulder by thin silk straps that curve up and over and then inwards towards the centre. The beck is set very low so that you get a wide expanse of bare skin. The waist is set to have a slight drape to it as it wraps around you. The silk curves around you down the front of the skirt and then curves back up to meet the waist at the back. This gives the front of the dress a more long and lean feel but with a hint that something special might happen as you turn. The back is the star of the show. A checked underskirt flares out and back in a tremendous sweep of fabric. The underskirt is made out of a slightly heavier weighted silk faille in a yellow and white gingham check. The heavier fabric and sheer volume of fabric used causes the back to have a full beautiful feel to it. Many yards of silk have been used its construction and it designed to have massive volume at the back. From every angle of the dress you get these wondrous sweeping views. The combination of the two prints is just amazing. It is one of the most beautiful dresses I have seen. Excellent condition with some a small note below.  

The bodice is lined an a blush silk and the gingham part of the skirt is interlined with silk in some parts and backed with a second layer of the silk gingham in others. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back and then the skirt snaps into place over that. Hand finished throughout. Original atelier tags attached. The straps have been hand tacked at their base to shorten them and could be let out. The tops of each strap is delicate and shows some shattering but they are wearable as is. Slight grubbiness to the edges the hem and to the straps. There is a piece of fabric missing from the underside of a seam on the floral layer that does not show but that I am mention it for accuracy. The slightest of wear to the silk near the top of the zipper where it looks like someone pinned something there art some point perhaps. Please see the photos provided after the label shot.  

Bust: approx 16" flat across but there are no true side seams
Waist: 13-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 60" from top of shoulders to front hem, 65" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3635

Reference Photos: (1) Kristen McMenamy for Bill Blass, Spring 1995.  /  Sheila Metzner for Mirabella magazine, May 1995. Dress by Bill Blass.  /  (3-4) From the book "Bill Blass: An American Designer".

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.

Bill Blass became the head designer at Maurice Rentner in 1959 and soon after that his name started to appear on the labels. In 1970 he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re-launched it under his own name. These Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner pieces, are some of his earliest and you will find many of them, like the twin of this coat, in museum collections throughout the world. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of all the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with luxurious materials and his evening wear in particular seem to have a way of flattering the wearer even at their most extravagant. This piece has the additional bonus of being able to be worn as either a coat or a dress

This early Bill Blass coat is particularly gorgeous with its metallic gold and deep blue silk brocade fabric. The base of the coat is a deep blue silk. Onto this, in horizontal rows that run over the entire coat, is an incredible and intricate design that has been created out of gold lame and gold thread. The gold pops off the blue base and has a lovely way of catching the light. The coat has a bit of a military feel to it and I love how the pattern is laid out to highlight the high collar and cuffs. Flap pockets are placed on the front of the coat. One on each hip and then two more on each breast. They are perfectly set tot follow the pattern and each has a large bead covered dome button to secure its flap closure. The same big bead covered buttons run down the front giving the coat a neat and polished feel. The shoulders are structured but are not padded. There is a subtle fabric epaulette across the top of each shoulder. The sleeves are long and he took the time to make sure that the fabric lines up with the body of the coat. The fairly simple design of the coat allows that beautiful fabric to take center stage. An interesting thing about this one, it closes all the way to the bottom hem so could be worn as a dress as well. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a blue silk and closes with silk covered snaps hidden behind each hand beaded dome button down the front. All four pockets are functional. Hand finished throughout. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 

Sleeves: 23"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 37" from neck to hem with 4" turned over under the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# C542

Reference Photo: Samantha Jones in Bill Blass, photographed by Richard Avedon, Vogue October 1968.

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