Evening dress

Cristobal Balenciaga|House of Balenciaga

1938–39 · silk · Costume Institute

In contrast to the dinner suit's hard, masculine elegance, evening dresses of the mid- to late-1930s were softer and more feminine. Perhaps as a response to the reality of war, designers cast a nostalgic look to past styles. Particular interest was focused on the period 1850-1900, a time of relative stability in French politics and society. Designers translated styles from this period into ultra-romantic evening gowns intended to make women's figures elegantly voluptuous. Inspired by the silhouettes of the 1870s and 1880s, Vionnet, Balenciaga and Schiaparelli created dresses with bustles. Unlike the bustles from these periods, however, their fullness was achieved not through wiring or boning, but by the fabric alone.

Artist

Cristobal Balenciaga|House of Balenciaga

Date

1938–39

Medium

silk

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Janet Chatfield-Taylor, 1962