Original 1920s Lame Drop Waist Flapper Dress

Extraordinary and original 1920s unlabelled couture lame flapper dress. This dress has a beautiful simplicity of line juxtaposed with a detailed baroque pattern woven into the lightweight silk lame fabric. The colour elements are warm tones of red, orange and deep turquoise. Drop-waist dresses in the 'robe de style' were reintroduced by the fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin at the beginning of the decade although I believe this dress is a little later as the emphasis has moved away from the hips. It has elements of the 'garcon' look but it is far from a simple chemise cut and as well as Lanvin's influence, it is very much in the style and taste of Paul Poiret. The cut is sublime. The sleeve has been attached to the back panel of the dress whilst the front portion has been left open to create a draped look edged in black satin. The skirt is made up of two layers; the bottom layer is a full length sheath with an additional sewn asymmetric tiered top flounce also edged in black satin.

The dress is handmade and in superb antique condition. There is no fade or rips to the black satin; on close inspection there are a couple of pin holes which are lost in the folds. The lame is in extremely fine condition with the occasional thread lifting and gentle burnishing to be expected with a piece of this age. Slight change in colour under one arm but this is very slight and not noticeable once worn. The fabric is strong and sturdy. There are no fastenings and the dress has a wide scoop neck to allow it to be slipped on over the head. With care, this dress could be worn by a range of sizes up to UK 12, US 8.

MEASUREMENTS:
BUST - 40 in. ( 102 cm)
WAIST - 37 in. ( 94.5 cm)
HIP - 40 in. ( 102 cm)
LENGTH - 52 in. ( 132 cm)
SHOULDERS - 16 in. ( 41 cm)