Evening dress
1975
Silk chiffon & silk crepe
Gift of Phyllis Wayne
S2007.915.1AB
Purchased in 1975 at Sak's Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills, this dress was worn by the donor to a family wedding. After the wedding, it was packed away and never worn again. In 2007, the original wearer donated it to the FIDM Museum. Consisting of two layers of pale, bias-cut, silk chiffon over a silk crepe slip, the dress is in excellent condition. The silhouette is deceptively demure, with thigh-high slits at each side of the skirt creating unexpected drama. The rounded shape of the hem is echoed in the sleeves, of which the lower portion was left unstitched to create a petal effect. Throughout the garment, picot edge seams are held together with hand-sewn stitches spaced 1/2 inch apart.