#2443 $1,200
Beaded flapper overdress, 1920s
Overdresses are perennial favorites because they are so versatile. You can wear this one with pants or over a long silk slip as an evening dress. As collectors of vintage clothing have long known, you will have a one-of-a-kind creation without the high cost of couture, discussed in The Vintage Advantage.
Made from fine black silk tulle, this beauty has a strong, graphic pattern of black beads and sequins. The design skillfully uses the geometric variants of the circle motif.
I love the combination of antique textile art with a loosely structured style that seems so modern. The feather-weight garment is comfortable and easy to wear. The skirt, which is open up to the thighs, closes on one side with snaps. The design is identical in front and back.
The elaboration of the curvilinear motifs (bottom picture) is quite striking. The theme and variations on the geometry of the circle are worked out with great ingenuity throughout the Deco influenced design.
The sophisticated modernism makes a dramatic fashion statement. Indeed there is, perhaps, nothing so memorable to a man as the first time he sees a stylish woman whose manner and dress capture his imagination once and for all.
The condition is excellent and wearable.
It measures: approximately 38" bust (adjustable due to open sides), 38" wrist, 40" hip, and 44" from shoulder to hem.
