Dress worn by Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons
date: label: Date
content: 1979
name: label: Designed by
content: Betsey Potter, American
label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Worn by
content: Isabel Sanford, American, 1917 - 2004
label: Subject of
content: The Jeffersons, American, 1975 - 1985
notes: label: Description
content: This dress was worn by Isabel Sanford as the character Louise Jefferson on the television show "The Jeffersons." The maxi dress is made of a synthetic knit fabric in a brown, rust, and beige design of speckled stripes bordering scallops that alternate facing up and down. The collar is a v-neck in both the front and the back, and is bordered with two strips of synthetic knit fabric in solid brown and rust. The same brown fabric is sewn at the hem in a four (4) inch wide band, that is folded to the back to form a doubled layer and quilted with five (5) horizontal parallel lines. On the exterior center front, a length of the dress fabric is attached to make a small faux belt, which serves to cover the fabric gathered by the interior elastic. This exterior strip is held on both sides by two (2) gold-colored metal buckles covered in clear and light yellow rhinestones. On the back, the dress closes with a dark brown zipper that runs up the center back from the waist to the collar, with an additional closure of a single hook-and-eye at the center back collar.
label: Description
content: Orange elastic is stitched to the interior of the center front below the bustline to create a gathered empire waist. The elastic is covered by orange chiffon where it is attached. The length of orange elastic reaches beyond the stitched front portion, being long enough to reach around to the wearer's back waist for additional bust support. No back closure method is apparent on the elastic except for dark brown threads, indicating the elastic was sewn closed after the dress was put on by the wearer. The dress is not lined. An off-white fabric label with black embroidered text is sewn to the interior proper left side of the neck that reads: "THE WARDROBE WING / HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA". Three (3) off-white fabric labels are sewn into the side seam just above the hem detail including a retailer's label for "I MAGNIN", care instructions, and sizing.
place: label: Place used
content: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Actors
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Costume
label: Topic
content: Costume design
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Sitcoms
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Costume
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2013.145.2
objectType: label: Type
content: dresses
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: synthetic fiber, metal, rhinestones, and elastic
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (On form): 55 1/2 × 19 1/2 × 18 in. (141 × 49.5 × 45.7 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Flat): 56 1/4 × 15 in. (142.9 × 38.1 cm)