1930s Black Satin Tulip Print Dress

Designed in the 1930s, this beautiful, vibrant liquid satin evening dress is a spectacular example from this era. The fabric makes it stand out among other pieces from this time; inky black satin is scattered with tulips rendered in painterly rainbow hues, as saturated in colour as the day it was produced. The dress falls in an elegant column style to the floor, held up by delicate spaghetti straps made from coordinating black satin. The bust is slightly gathered with three pleats sewn into place. Adorning the low back are seven large black satin-covered buttons alongside a hook-and-eye clasp. The waist can be cinched by a removable wide belt tailored from the same tulip-printed cloth.

This piece really belongs in a serious collection and is just as wearable today as it was when it was made nearly a century ago. Condition wise, it is well preserved but has some very faint age-related foxing which did not render on our studio photos. These blend very well into the print are are not noticeable when worn. There are a few tiny spot marks inside the bust which also, are not visible when worn. No labels are present in the dress but this is a very well manufactured piece and would have retailed in an upmarket store of the day. The fabric has no stretch and we think this is best suited to sizes UK 8-10 or US 4-6.

MEASUREMENTS

BUST - 32 in. (81 cm)

WAIST - 30 in. (76 cm)

HIP - 40 in. (102 cm)

LENGTH - 61 in. (155 cm)