Ball gown
This design incorporates a detail seen in late nineteenth-century dresses: The torso seems to emerge out of the folds of the skirt. In his rendering of the historicist effect, James generated a sophisticated technical solution to conform to his preference for continuous pieces of fabric that are draped, tucked, and darted to fit. The fabric is shaped and fitted over the hips of the torso to become the draped apron.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ball gown
- Designer: Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978)
- Date: 1950–52
- Culture: American
- Medium: silk
- Credit Line: Gift of Marietta Tree, 1965
- Object Number: C.I.65.36.1
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Charles James
1949
Charles James
1948–49
Charles James
1940–1959
Charles James
1940–1959
Charles James
1940–1959
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