Background
Critically celebrated during the 1930s for his transformation of humble fabrics into haute couture masterworks, Mainbocher again filled his Spring 1948 collection with pretty dresses made from fresh-colored ginghams. This summer dinner dress and jacket demonstrate his technique of layering two different textiles—here, gingham and sheer lace—visually melding them into a third richer fabric.
Description
Dress: Mid-calf length; fitted bodice; sweetheart neck front and back; ¾" attached self belt at natural waist; hip yoke; full, bias-cut, four-gore skirt; left side zipper.
Jacket: Semi-fitted; waist-length; rounded, notched lapel; three-quarter length sleeve; three-button center front closure, black composition buttons, bound buttonholes; lined in white silk crepe.
Garment structure
In this dress Mainbocher relies solely on fabric manipulation for shape, eliminating the need for backing, lining or inner structure. The edges are finished with simple, narrow chiffon facings, the interior raw edges with hand overcasting.
The fitted bodice has a front and back sweetheart neckline. The lace has been cut and appliquéd to fit seamlessly, eliminating sharp seam and dart lines. The left side seam zipper is hand sewn. A narrow self-fabric belt covers the waist seam and fastens with a hook and eye on the left side. Cut slightly shorter than the actual waistline, a grosgrain stay anchors the dress at the waist, eliminating stress on the zipper.
The bias-cut mid-calf length skirt has four-gores and a yoke, creating a smooth line below the lace and a soft drape, facilitating mobility.
Worn by donor.
Gift of Miss Isabel Shults, 1973.