Medium: Black wool jersey

Date: 1942

Country: France

Credit: Museum purchase

By the forties, World War II fabric restrictions drastically curtailed Grès's output of classically inspired gowns. As a result, examples of her work from this period are quite rare in both American and French institutions. While pictorial evidence exists to prove that Grès continued to create floor-length gowns in matte silk jersey, one of the only known surviving pieces is this knee-length dress made of wool jersey, dating to about 1942. Perhaps an explanation for the uncharacteristically abbreviated skirt-length is the severe restrictions that were placed on wool and other natural fibers during the war. The dress is simple in appearance, but the masterful manipulation of the pleats and the minimal number of cut pattern pieces attest to Grès's continued high level of creativity even during periods of serious deprivation.

Object Number: P90.83.1