Ivory lace 50's dress with panniers

Ivory lace 50's dress with panniers DR192

Condition: Excellent

Price: $150

Measurements
Bust: 32”
Waist: 23”
Hip: free
Length: 44”
Shoulder seam-to-seam: 11.5”
Shoulder to waist length: 14”
Label: only paper manufacturer’s label, vintage size 8 (modern size XXS!)

Description
Creamy ivory lace overlays ivory taffeta on this dress from the late 1950’s. At the neckline, short sleeves and at the hem, the ivory lace is left sheer, creating a lovely scalloped edge. The skirt is lined in the papery stiffening fabric popular at the time, which makes it practically stand up by itself! It is pleated from the waist, in front with box pleats and in back with overlapping knife pleats. The sides of the skirt are left unpleated, but they get their fullness from an unusual addition to the underside of the dress—mini panniers. In the 17th and 18th centuries, women’s dresses were constructed, using much larger panniers, to be wide at the sides and flat in front. These little panniers are a 20th century reference to this earlier method of clothing construction. They sit on each hip, with a curved band on the side closest to the body to keep them in place. The outer side of each pannier is stiff enough to hold the fairly heavy weight of the taffeta and lace skirt away from the body. Pretty cool! The dress closes with a back zipper. The waist and shoulder measurements are very small, a bit too small for our mannequin, so please check these carefully before ordering. It is in excellent condition, with some minor underarm yellowing visible only from the inside of the dress. It would make a fabulous “day” wedding dress for the vintage-loving bride!