Beaded orange velvet evening top and skirt
date: label: Date
content: 1965-1980
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: A beaded orange velvet sleeveless evening top and matching skirt. The top (a) has a high band collar and is made of orange silk velvet embellished with clear iridescent glass bugle and sea beads with hexagons and geometric patterning. The collar is heavily embellished with three rows of trim made of white iridescent plastic sequins and looped white synthetic cording with iridescent filament. Two hooks and eyes are sewn to the proper right side of the collar. The top of the front bodice panel is gathered under the collar and slightly at the hem. A two-and-a-half-inch wide band is sewn to the bottom of the front bodice panel. This band extends beyond the bodice panel and fastens at the center back with a pair of metal hooks and eyes at each end. The back of the top has a rounded neckline and is slightly gathered at the hem. A two and a half inch wide band is sewn to the hem and extends beyond the back bodice panel which wraps around and ties at the center front. The front and back bodice panels are left open at the sides. The top is lined with orange silk crepe de chine and is machine stitched to the silk velvet. The bands along the hemline are double layered. White elastic is hand stitched to each side of the front bodice panel with a metal hook on the proper left side and a metal eye on the proper right side.
label: Description
content: The matching knee length skirt (b) has a self-fabric waistband with an additional length across the front that attaches to the proper left side with two hook and eye closures. The skirt is made of orange velvet and has the same embellishment patterning as the top, but it is placed on a perpendicular grain. The skirt opens at the front, offset to the proper right with two hooks and eyes at the waistband and three on the skirt. The opening is sewn past the bottom hook and eye and continues into a ten and a half inch side slit. An inverted pleat is sewn to the proper left side of the skirt and on the back of the skirt offset to the proper right. The skirt is lined with orange silk crepe de chine and is hand stitched to the silk velvet at the hemline.
label: Cataloging Notes
content: This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Black Fashion Museum Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.3.657ab
objectType: label: Type
content: ensembles (costume)
label: Type
content: shirts
label: Type
content: skirts
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: silk velvet, silk crepe de chine, glass beads, plastic, and elastic
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (a. top): 19 1/2 × 18 1/2 in. (49.5 × 47 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (b. skirt): 22 × 14 in. (55.9 × 35.6 cm)