Gold metallic floral shift dress and jacket
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1965
name: label: Created by
content: Helen Bass, American, died 1985
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: A gold metallic floral shift dress and jacket made of syntenic and metallic thread brocade. The dress (a) has wide V neckline with a one-and-a-half-inch band of gold trim sewn along the edge. The trim is made of two bands of black syntenic, and gold metallic thread cording arranged in mirrored scalloped patterning creating circles. Bronze glass rhinestones with metal settings are at the center of each circle. On either side of the trim, gold metal balls and rhinestones are attached along the edges. The mid length dress has short cap sleeves, and a downward pointing bust dart is sewn on each side. The back of the dress has a center back seam with a twenty-three-inch zipper with plastic teeth and a metal pull. A metal hook and thread eye are sewn to the top of the zipper. The dress is lined with gold colored synthetic fabric that is machine sewn to the dress along the neckline and sleeves. The lining and exterior fabric are not sewn together at the hem. The hem of the brocade is folded inwards and finished with a gold syntenic ribbon which is hand and machine sewn. Buckram is placed between the brocade and lining at the neckline.
label: Description
content: The jacket (b) has a self-fabric convertible collar, it is single breasted and opens in the center front. The jacket could be worn two ways, first buttoned below the collar with a hidden shell button creating a higher neckline and pointed collar. A decorate self-fabric covered button is placed below the center of the collar. It could also be worn with the collar turned down to create a single notched collar and buttoned with the bottom two buttons at the center front opening. Two bound buttonholes are sewn to the proper right side of the center front opening, two self-fabric covered metal buttons are sewn on the other side. A downward pointing bust dart is sewn on each side. The jacket is self-faced along the center front opening and collar. It is lined with the same material as the dress, gold colored synthetic fabric. Buckram is sewn between the lining and brocade along the center front opening and the collar and along the shoulders. A woven fabric label is sewn to the proper right side of the center front opening along the self-facing. The label reads [Helen Bass / CALIFORNIA].
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: Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
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: 2007.3.360ab
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: synthetic and metallic thread brocade, synthetic, buckram, metal, shell, glass rhinestones, synthetic and metallic cord, plastic, and synthetic ribbon
label: Dimensions
content: a: dress
label: Dimensions
content: Length (a: shoulder to hem): 41 in. (104.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (a: flat): 20 1/4 in. (51.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: b: jacket
label: Dimensions
content: Length (b: shoulder to hem): 24 in. (61 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (b: shoulder to shoulder): 17 in. (43.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (b: flat): 23 1/2 in. (59.7 cm)