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Thumbnail-size images of copyrighted artworks are displayed under fair use, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, published by the College Art Association in February 2015.
Dress
American
1996
Object Place: United States
Medium/Technique
Silk velvet and silk plain weave (chiffon)
Dimensions
Center back: 148 cm (58 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Julia Anderson Frankel
Accession Number2008.320
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsContemporary Art, Americas, Fashion and Textiles
ClassificationsCostumes
DescriptionHigh waisted long evening dress by Bill Blass. Bodice is black velvet and sleeveless with a scoop neck, bust darts and black laces up the center front. Lining is silk plain weave with a label under each shoulder strap; right ""Bill Blass/Made in the USA/ of imported fabric" and left "Neiman Marcus." The waistline is just under the bust. The skirt is three layers of silk plain weave (crepe). The three layers are different colors, black, green, rosy pink. Different colored warps and wefts make the green (yellow warp, blue weft) and pink (white warps, copper colored wefts) appear iridescent. The top layer (pink) is slit up the middle to the bodice, the green is under it, with the hem coming up to form an inverted "V" shape and the black is cut straight across. All of the layers have a rolled hem. On the center back of the dress is a zipper that runs down into the skirt where it is attached to the black layer and hidden by four snaps and a hook and eye closure, the pink and green layers are kept out of the way and secured on the inside of the garment with an orange plain weave tape.