1970s Bill Gibb Cream and Embroidered Floral Maxi Dress

This is an elaborate 1970s gown by revered British fashion designer Bill Gibb. Crafted from soft cream-yellow cotton, it has a dramatic blouson silhouette and was a bespoke wedding dress made for our client in 1973. The fabric is stunning, it is embroidered all-over with floral shapes intricately woven from orange, brown, cobalt blue and yellow thread. The sleeves are tailored to an extreme elongated length with wide button cuffs finished with ruffled hems. This length results in a theatrical bell-sleeved silhouette when the cuffs sit against the wrists. The neckline is high and trimmed with pale yellow lace, lace which also runs the length of the sleeves. The skirt is dramatic; falling from under the ruffled peplum waist, it is embroidered all-over with tiny flowers in multi-hued thread. The bottom hem is layered and pleated and adorned with heavier embroidery, which echoes the scallop shape of the hem. The dress fastens down the front with large yellow plastic buttons which match those at the cuffs. The dress is lined in cream satin.

It is extremely difficult to find Bill Gibb designs from his pivotal early 1970s collections in such flawless vintage condition as this. We can find no repairs, holes or stains and the fabric is still very fresh looking. One of the buttons concealed underneath the peplum was missing; we replaced with a similar one but it is not identical. Labelled a UK size 10 or US 6 and fairly true to size but please check our measurements below as the fabric has no stretch.

MEASUREMENTS

BUST - 34 in. (86 cm)

WAIST - 30 in. (76 cm)

HIP - 52 in. (132 cm)

LENGTH - 57 in. (145 cm)