#7231 $1,275 Reserved
Beaded silk chiffon flapper dress, c.1925
Flapper dresses are perennial favorite, perhaps because no other period combined such opulence with such youthful sass. This flirty chemise dress is the personification of the free spirited, fun loving mood of the flapper era. With its car wash panels, the skirt is ideal for dancing; the beaded decoration sparkles with joie de vivre.
The brief Flapper Era (1924-1929) defined the whole decade. The short and showy flapper styles came to an abrupt end with the stock market crash of 1929. When I viewed the 2005 Chanel exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was impressed by how modern the flapper styles appear today.
The dress is fashioned from heavenly lilac silk chiffon. The beaded embellishment combines glittering rhinestones with loops of clear crystal beads. I love the sexy open back decoration. The sheer dress has no closures and will need a slip.
The use of a checkerboard motif is truly inspired. Even the subtleties of chess do not compare with those of the female heart. Sigmund Freud famously asked, "What do women want?" Fortunately, the male of the species has not yet figured that out.
We know what the flapper looked like, but her personality was a bit more complex than the modern stereotype. She did like to shock both suitors and her parents. "I call you Omar because you remind me of a smoked cigarette." She liked to smoke and to kiss, which made her a bit "fast."
She could afford to regard beauty as only skin deep, since she was herself admired for her beauty. However, she was not a "dumb blond." She had a quick wit and a good mind. There was also a measure of innocence about worldly affairs that would surprise us today.
The condition is almost excellent. The dress has a few tiny mends that are difficult to detect.
It measures: 36" bust, 35" waist, 36" hip, 24" to the hipline, and 39" from the shoulder to the hem.
