Evening dress

Jessie Franklin Turner

ca. 1933 · metal · Costume Institute

Lamé, a fabric which incorporates metallic threads and is known for its festive brightness, was often used in evening wear of the 1920s, '30s and '40s. The lamé used here is in relatively bright condition, allowing one to imagine its original effect of shining like liquid metal. Jessie Franklin Turner, the designer of this dress, was widely known for her evening wear. This example demonstrates one reason for her renown, as it incorporates pristine bias construction and inventive piecing of the sleeves, allowing the dress to drape the body in a dramatic alluring way.

Artist

Jessie Franklin Turner

Date

ca. 1933

Medium

metal

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the estate of Mary Boocock Leavitt, 1974