Cotton eyelet dress with black flocking
date: label: Date
content: 1950s
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: A "fit n' flair" cotton eyelet dress with black flocking and a circle skirt. The dress is made from natural plain weave cotton and has an all over eyelet pattern with cut outs edged with black flocking. There are also black flocking zig zag designs throughout the dress. The front of the fitted bodice is made from one panel of natural cotton plain weave fabric and features a rounded neckline and cap sleeves. Both the neckline and sleeves are bound with black synthetic (likely acetate) taffeta. There are two 4.5” horizontal bust darts (one on the left and one on the right) and four vertical shaping darts. The inner darts are 8.25” and the outer darts measure 8”. There are two black thread belt loops at the natural waist and the corresponding belt is missing. The bodice and the full circle skirt are attached at the waistline with machine stitching. Slightly right of the center front on the skirt is a black velvet bow that is hand tacked into place. The black bow is double-looped with a center knot and two 21.5” tails. The front of the skirt is a half-circle panel, sewn to the back half circle panel at the side seams. There is a 3-inch single folded hem at the bottom of the skirt and its fabric edges are finished with a black synthetic faille .5” wide ribbon. The black synthetic faille ribbon is machine stitched to the edge of skirt, folded under, and handstitched to the underside.
label: Description
content: The back neckline has a slightly deeper v-neck and closes with a metal hook and black thread eye, Below the hook and eye is a 13” metal zipper with metal teeth that separates the two back panels of the bodice. Like the front construction, there are four vertical shaping darts (two on each side) the inner dart is 8” and the outer dart is 8.5”.
label: Description
content: The inside slip is made of black synthetic taffeta. The inner bust features a sweetheart neckline and is made from three panels (one for the front and two for the back). The dart placements mirror that of the outer bust. The inner skirt seam edges are pinked. All interior seams are machine stitched together but the bust is hand tacked to the outer dress at the top of the bust. There is no label.
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: 2007.3.691
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: cotton, twill, synthetic taffeta, syntehtic faille, ribbon, synthetic velvet, and metal
label: Dimensions
content: Length (shoulder to hem): 44 in. (111.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (shoulder to shoulder): 16 in. (40.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Chest: 39 in. (99.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist: 31 in. (78.7 cm)