#2712 $975
Floral chiffon dress, c.1929
Floral chiffons of the late 1920s soothe the senses like a gentle spring breeze after the cold, hard edged geometry of Art Deco. This charming dress, from the endpoint of the flapper period, has the uneven hemline that anticipates the longer styles of the 1930s. Like birds circling before the storm, fashion designers sensed the end of the era.
The dress is fashioned from sheer floral silk chiffon and embellished with black lace inserts at the neckline and on the skirt sides. It is a special find because it still has the original black satin slip bordered in front with matching floral chiffon.
The superb construction and fine finishing suggest it was very expensive when new. The stylish dress floats over the slip like a delicate butterfly and closes at the center-back neckline with three tiny self-covered buttons.
Nothing could be more au courant than the dazzling large-scale floral print. Indeed, everything's coming up roses (and tulips, and lilies and lilacs).
What a playful and pretty dress that reflects the unbounded optimism of the times! As the 1926 hit song put it: "Blue skies smiling at me; nothing but blue skies do I see...Never saw the sun shining so bright; never saw things going so right."
The brief Flapper Era (1924-1929) defined the whole decade. The short and showy flapper styles came to an abrupt end with the stock market crash of 1929.
The condition is excellent and wearable.
The slip measures: 38" bust, 40" waist, 42" hip, and 47" from shoulder to hem.
The dress measures: 40" bust and waist, 44" hip, and 44" from shoulder to front hem (longer in back).
