Trim Yet Swirled: A 1930s Evening Dress
We so often underestimate the past. I have students who are floored to discover sarcasm in fashion commentary from a hundred years ago, and they are equally surprised to find printed fabric that seems so modern it might be found today on a modern dress.
This delightful evening gown from the 1930s combines two sheers. The top of the bodice with a banded v-neck and sleeves is trimly made of white silk organza, a stiff fabric that has an air of formality as a result. But the knotted tie and the rest of the long dress are made of a printed silk chiffon, a softy, drapey fabric, with partial, swirling circles. They overlap each other giving a sense of movement which is further enhanced by the panels which flare out as the get nearer to the hemline. It seems a perfect combination for a sweet young woman who wanted to enjoy herself at a dance and let her dress cut loose just a little bit. The 1930s saw a difference made between day time dresses which hit the calf and evening gowns which dropped down to the floor.
Both fabrics need to be handled carefully in sewing as they are each delicate, and often the garment's life was short, but I like to think this one witnessed some joyful of occasions.
This dress is in the Elizabeth Sage Historic Costume Collection which is part of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University in Bloomington. Kelly Richardson, the Director/ Curator of the Sage Collection was kind enough to show me items from the 1930s collection and those are her purple-gloved hands you see in the photo.
For more about the collection, go here: https://eskenazi.indiana.edu/exhibitions/sage-collection/index.html
