Beads & Velvet: Celadon & Cream Evening Gown
This gown from around 1930 indicates the shifts in fashion of that era. The 1920s had seen a lot of short skirts for all times of day, including the evening, on a lot of utterly flat panels of fabric that treated women's bodies as though they were shaped like test tubes. The flat panels were good for lots of decorative beading as the maker barely had to think about shaping the 2 dimensions of fabrics into the 3 dimensionsneeded for clothing. But then all this fell out of favor in the late 1920s. Hemlines dropped down, waistlines re-appeared, and garments drew closer to the curves of a woman's body. Floor-length became an evening time look. You can see this dress as embodying much of that shift, while hanging onto the decorative panel ideas of earlier years.
This is a panne velvet, or flattened velvet, which is actually more practical as silk velvet gets squashed when sat upon. The panels of fabric are fitted to the body and embroidered with metallic and pearl beads plus rhinestones. The skirt's inserts reverse the direction of the velvet, thus making the most of its nap, and allowing the light to catch the pale green color in all directions. You can imagine the lovely play of color as a woman danced or darted up a staircase, a mix of beads and fabric shimmering in the light.
It is for sale at Augusta Auctions, a vintage textiles and fashions auction house, part of their Summer Solstice Treasures auction on June 28th, 2023.
For more info, go here: https://augusta-auction.com/
