Cream sleeveless dress and jacket designed by Zelda Wynn
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1965
name: label: Designed by
content: Zelda Wynn, American, 1905 - 2001
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: A cream sleeveless dress and jacket designed by Zelda Wynn. The sheath dress (a) is made of silk satin it has a V neckline with a diagonal bust dart on each side. Three vertical shaping darts are sewn below each bust dart which extend to the hips. The hem has come undone, a crease line shows where the dress was originally finished. The bottom edge of the hem is finished with a cream synthetic ribbon. The back of the dress has a lower V neckline with a center back seam and a shaping dart on each side of the seam. A twelve-and three-quarter length plastic zipper with a metal pull is hand sewn along the center back seam. The dress is lined with a cream silk synthetic blend which mostly mimics the construction of the exterior of the dress. Lingerie guards made of metal snaps and wrapped thread are sewn below each shoulder. The lining is hand sewn to the exterior of the garment. The lining has a raw edge and is left unstitched at the hem. A woven fabric label is sewn to the proper left side of the center back opening which reads [Zelda Wynn / NEW YORK, N.Y.].
label: Description
content: The jacket (b) is made of the same fabric as the dress, it is single breasted and has a single notched collar. Three self-fabric covered plastic buttons are sewn to the proper left side that align with three bound buttonholes on the proper right side. A metal snap covered in cream silk synthetic is sewn above the top button and below the bottom button which corresponds to a snap on the other side of the opening. The elbow length sleeves have no armscyes seam rather are constructed of the same panel that comprises the top center portion of the jacket. A princess seam is sewn to each side of the center front opening which connects to the front side panels. A seam is sewn above the top button and buttonhole which curves slightly upwards at the center and ends at each princess seam. The jacket has a center back seam with the two back panels also creating the back of the sleeves. A dart is sewn to each side of the center back opening below the collar. The jacket is lined with silk synthetic pink and green floral print on a cream background which is hand stitched to the jacket along the edges. The jacket is self-faced along the center front opening. A woven fabric label is sewn to the center back interior which reads [Zelda Wynn / NEW YORK, N.Y.].
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.
place: label: Place made
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Black Enterprise
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
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: 2007.3.166ab
objectType: label: Type
content: dresses
label: Type
content: jackets
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 twill, silk synthetic, synthetic ribbon, synthetic, metal, and plastic
label: Dimensions
content: a: dress
label: Dimensions
content: Length (a: shoulder to hem): 43 1/2 in. (110.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (a: flat): 17 in. (43.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: b: jacket
label: Dimensions
content: Length (b: shoulder to hem): 26 in. (66 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (b: shoulder to shoulder): 20 in. (50.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (b: flat): 19 3/4 in. (50.2 cm)