78.100.8

Images (4)

Unraveled_20 Left to right 98.140.1 (jacket), 2008.80.3 (coat), 91.254.23 (skirt), 78.100.8 (denim dress), 2015.47.1 (blazer overalls), 92.182.1 (boots), 92.182.2 (bustier)

Unraveled_15 91.254.23 (skirt), 78.100.8 (denim dress), 2015.47.1 (blazer overalls)

Unraveled_12 Left to right 98.140.1 (jacket), 2008.80.3 (coat), 91.254.23 (skirt), 78.100.8 (denim dress), 2015.47.1 (blazer overalls), 92.182.1 (boots), 92.182.2 (bustier)

Object: Dress

Retailer: Serendipity (American)

Date: c. 1972

Medium: Denim with multicolor cotton

Country: USA

Credit Line: Gift of Stephen Bruce

Object number: 78.100.8

DescriptionFloor-length Manchu inspired wrap hostess A-line dress in crackle bleached blue denim; large snake appliqués in red, black, brown, blue, white, and beige geometric printed cotton on back and right shoulder; high surplice neckline and bell cuffed sleeves with ten rows of top stitching; mock empire waist; tie closures at collar and waist.

Label Text:Customized denim was integral to the hippie look of the late 1960s, and garments that featured techniques such as appliqué, embroidery, and bleaching expressed their wearers’ individuality. By the early 1970s, this anti-fashion statement had moved into the mainstream. Manhattan’s Serendipity boutique specialized in one-of-a-kind denim clothes that cost up to $500 (nearly $3,000 today).

Exhibitions:

Fashion Unraveled