Beaded floral sheath dress worn by Dinah Washington
date: label: Date
content: 1940s
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Worn by
content: Dinah Washington, American, 1924 - 1963
notes: label: Description
content: This gold silk floral print sheath dress was worn by Dinah Washington. The dress has a natural waistline with no seam at the bodice. Pleats are sewn in the bodice and front waist to create a fitted silhouette. The gold silk satin is overlaid with cream silk chiffon that is printed in an allover design of mid-sized coral colored flowers. The printed flowers are outlined in gold bugle beads. At the scoop front neckline, V-neck back neckline, and over the shoulders the flowers are cut out so portions of them extend beyond the dress and are backed with the gold silk satin for stabilization. The dress closes at the center back with a cream plastic invisible zipper that extends from the back neckline to below the waist and one (1) hook-and-eye at the top of the zipper. There is a slit cut at the center back skirt approximately ten (10) inches long with an additional panel of silk overlaid in chiffon sewn behind the slit. The bodice and skirt are fully lined in an off-white synthetic faille.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Music
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Popular music
label: Topic
content: Rhythm and blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
label: Exhibition
content: Musical Crossroads
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dinah Washington's Family
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.87.5
objectType: label: Type
content: sheath dresses
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown – Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silk satin, silk chiffon, synthetic faille, glass beads, and plastic zipper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 55 x 18 1/2 in. (139.7 x 47 cm)