Brown sunflower print dress and matching jacket
date: label: Date
content: 1950s
name: label: Created by
content: Anna May Nichols, American
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Description
content: A brown sunflower print dress (a) and matching jacket (b). The silk blend twill dress (a) features a sheath silhouette and a wide, rounded neckline. Both the dress and the jacket have an allover pattern of large, brown sunflowers. The dress is sleeveless and has a gusset, where the arm’s eye normally is, and each gusset is made from two panels of silk blend twill. There are two 5.25” length diagonal bust darts and two 6.75” shaping darts on the front of the dress. The bodice is machine sewn horizontally to a three-panel skirt – one panel for the front and two for the back. There is one knife pleat and one box pleat at each side of the waist front, and the bottom hem is finished with a 3” fold that has been turned under and machine stitched into place. The back bodice is made from two panels that are separated with a 21.5” metal zipper and above the zipper is a metal hook and thread loop eye. Like the back bodice, the back of the skirt is also made from two panels and has a center back vent measuring 5.5”. The inside of the dress is lined with copper synthetic silk faille and the interior construction matches the construction of the outside of the dress. There’s self-facing around the neckline with synthetic linen backing. A .5” synthetic ribbon is machine stitched around the inner waist for reinforcement. All interior seams are machine stitched together and pressed open with pinked edges. A blue and white union label is sewn to the proper back interior of the dress that reads [ABFR / 930513 / UNION LABEL / AGUW / AFL – C10 / INT’L LADIES GARMENT UNION WORKERS] in blue text.
label: Description
content: A jacket made from matching sunflower print (b). The jacket is cropped and has a folded collar made from two panels of silk blend twill sewn together at the center back neckline. Four panels make up the front of the jacket - two for the front (that make up the front of each sleeve) and two for each side which are sewn together with princess seams. Each sleeve is made from two panels sewn together at the inner and outer arm with no arm’s eye. The back of the jacket is composed of three panels - one large center panel, and two side panels that are also joined together with princess seams. There are two shoulder darts, one on each side, measuring roughly 2” inches each and a 2” shaping dart at each elbow. The jacket is lined with the same copper synthetic lining as the dress and the lining construction mirrors the outside of the jacket. A white woven fabric label is sewn to the inside collar of the jacket and reads [ANNA MAY NICHOLS / WASHINGTON, D.C.] in yellow text.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Design
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: 2007.3.698ab
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 blend twill, synthetic lining (material) (possibly cellulose acetate), linen (material), metal, and ribbon
label: Dimensions
content: a: dress
label: Dimensions
content: Length (a: collar to hem): 43 1/2 in. (110.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 14 in. (35.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Chest (a: full): 36 in. (91.4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (a: full): 30 in. (76.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: b: jacket
label: Dimensions
content: Length (b: collar to waist): 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Width (b: shoulder to shoulder): 17 in. (43.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Chest (b: full): 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist (b: full): 18 in. (45.7 cm)