Medium: Black silk faille, rhinestones, and spangles

Date: Fall 1953

Country: USA

Credit: Gift of Sophie Gimbel

The hourglass shape of this dress stands in sharp contrast to the masculine edge of wartime styles. The exaggerated feminine silhouette coincided with renewed social emphasis on women’s traditional charms and domestic roles. As Barbara Schreier put it, “the new silhouette replaced the angles with curves and sanctioned the ornamental function of women.”

Object Number: 75.69.3