Medium: Discharge printed black silk twill and cashmere

Date: c.1950

Country: USA

Credit: Gift of Mrs. Herbert Berg and Mr. Leon Berg

The patterning on this day dress was achieved through discharge printing: the dress was dyed and then selectively treated with a bleaching agent to create the floral design. This process, and the chemicals it requires, are especially environmentally harmful. As textiles scholar Keith Slater has noted, discharge printing “combines the worst aspects of printing and dyeing.”

Object Number: 75.77.1