Evening dress
Retailer
Bonwit Teller
(American)
c. 1920
Silk chiffon, silk ribbon, and metallic flowers
Gift of Linda Wilson
Object number84.201.1
Bonwit Teller provided American women of style with fashionable clothing that ranged from imported originals to models designed in-house. The pure drapery of this tea gown suggests that it was custom-made in the store’s couture salon, and probably was based on a Paris design. Like other high-end department stores, Bonwit Teller employed fashionable young women as “stylists” to scout the newest Paris trends. A company brochure from the 1920s proudly states: “discriminating women…select here their entire wardrobes.”
DescriptionMauve pink silk chiffon gown; street length underdress, square neck sleeveless chemise, pink chiffon lining; overdress with cocoon front, gathered to drop waist center front with pink satin and metallic flowers; straight-line trained back.Collections
Exhibitions