What:
Infanta Cocktail or Evening Gown
Label: none
Charles James design by Samuel Winston attribution

Where:
699 or 716 Madison Avenue, New York

When:
1952

Who:
Worn by Sally Van Der Meersch

How:
Sleeveless dress with shoulder straps and a sweetheart neckline edged in black lace. The bodice and hip peplum are made of black lace over ivory silk satin. These two layers are pleated at the center front then applied to a black silk faille base that is interfaced with black non-woven Pellon® and stiff bobbinet tulle. The peplum is attached to the dress only at the waist and center back. The bodice is lined in ivory silk satin and boned eight times vertically to a point 7 cm / 2 ¾" below the waist. Four layers of tulle are attached at hip level to a structural underskirt. The tulle colors alternate between dark brown, or faded black, to white. The underskirt is sewn at the waist and consists of a black silk faille outer layer folded over a black cotton plain weave skirt. The cotton layer has many 12.7 cm / 5" wide nylon bias-woven "horsehair" braid structural bands superimposed horizontally and machine stitched to it yet out of sight to the viewer. The dress closes at center back with a zipper. A brown or faded black satin ribbon creates a bow with long streamers stitched at its base to the center front hem of the peplum.

Credit:
The Ohio State University Historic Costume & Textiles Collection
OSU 1985.106.23

For more on the OSU Collection, log on to costume.osu.edu