#c337 $3,800 Sold
Jeweled metallic lace evening ensemble, c.1925
Spectacular high style evening wear from the 1920s in wearable condition is almost impossible to find. Intact matching ensembles are even more noteworthy. The ensemble is a real value since each piece would be at least $2200 if sold separately. A comparable designer outfit today would cost more than $15,000. This ensemble is the first I have had that matches the splendor and brilliance of the 1930s French sequined gown on the top-left of my home page.
The cape and dress are fashioned from gold metallic lace in fine condition without areas of oxidation. The dress glows with old-money, mellow patina, the tribute that time pays to beauty. Gold, the face of opulence, was a favorite color in the 1920s, a decade of sumptuous display.
The lace is embellished with jewel-tone glass beads and faux pearls. The beads sparkle more in person than in the pictures. The gown's rich resplendence is apparent from across the room as well as up close. The jewel-like beads on a golden canvas convey a regal, luxurious beauty. The intricate, semi-abstract design uses rounded (feminine) motifs, including the ancient tear-drop boteh to create a wearable work of costume art.
The fringed front hemline of the dress epitomizes the dance-until-dawn flapper style. However, only the wealthiest of flappers could have afforded our magnificent ensemble, e.g., Millicent Rogers, the Standard Oil heiress. In her anarchic youth during the Twenties, she made an indelible impression on high society.
The dress comes with a burnt orange silk chiffon slip, the top of which is lined with silk crepe, making the slip appear darker. The collar of the cape is ruched and padded. The cape is totally lined with matching burnt orange silk velvet. The best velvet is silk velvet—so luxurious against the skin.
The glittering ensemble was meant for the grand occasion. I can see the sleek and soigné playwright and all round socialite Clare Boothe wearing it on her third date (to clinch the deal) with publishing magnate Henry Luce. The gown shows the wearer has what the French call l'art de se faire valoir (the knack of writing your own price tag).
As Balzac put it: "Costume is of great importance to those who want to appear to have what they don't have, because that is often the best way of getting it later on."
The dress and slip have no closures. The cape closes in front with one large hook.
The condition is almost excellent. There is an unobtrusive mend on the lace of the dress. You probably will not notice it. The neckline and armholes of the dress have been backed with plain tulle for support, making the dress more wearable.
The dress measures: 36" bust and waist (the slip measures 30" around the waist), 40" hip, and 48" from shoulder to hem.
The cape has a circumference of 50" and is 48" from shoulder to hem.
