#4015 $2,800 Sold
French lace/chiffon evening coat, 1920s
This superb evening coat is one of those special pieces that rarely appears on the market. It came from the estate of a French woman who lived in New York where her husband was the master chef of a fine French restaurant during the Roaring Twenties. She also owned the lace teddy currently listed. Her husband undoubtedly bought these two pieces in Paris as presents for her.
The coat is a gossamer creation of silk chiffon and delicate silk lace. The shoulders and hem border are accented with appliqués of handmade Brussels lace. The front opening is finished with a wide band of peach satin ribbon. The silk ribbon flowers are finely crafted with padding and a variety of ribbon types to create three dimensional bouquets.
The unstructured coat is cut straight with deep armholes and wide roomy sleeves. It closes in front with one hook hidden behind the floral bouquets. The unlabeled coat is lined with matching silk chiffon.
The expensive materials and hand finishing are tipoffs to the couture quality of design and construction, suggesting the coat came from one of the top Paris fashion houses. The mid 1920s in Paris was the apogee of the golden age of couture: the style and finish of the clothing from that period has never been equaled.
The top picture says it all. This is a coat for the stylish woman who uses her beauty and her clothing as the material from which to create a work of art: the combination of dress, light and the evening's mood in her eyes.
The condition is almost excellent. The coat has a few minor flaws that do not spoil the appearance. In the satin ribbon neckline border are several small splits, which are stable and not shredding. There are several very pale spots on the chiffon hem border.
It measures: 47" around, 14 1/2" from sleeve cap to sleeve cap, 26" sleeve length, and 46" from the shoulder to the hem.
