Dress

Charles James|Samuel Winston

1952–53 · wool · Costume Institute

This body-conscious sheath is shaped at the bodice with curving seams that are closer together at the apex of the bust than typical princess seams and are angled to the center waist. The skirt, with a right side seam conventionally placed and a left side seam shifted far to the left back and hidden in a carefully draped flare, demonstrates James’s flair for asymmetry and the unexpected. The dress was part of the ready-to-wear collection James designed for Samuel Winston.

Artist

Charles James|Samuel Winston

Date

1952–53

Medium

wool

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Costume Institute Benefit Fund, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, and Acquisitions Fund, 2013