Making Mainbocher by Petra Slinkard
The show at the Chicago History Museum shuts August 20th, but if you cannot get there, you can see the garments in the exhibition catalog by the curator Petra Slinkard.
This small book has photographs of the ensembles in the exhibits and some close-ups and back views that are impossible to see without it. I realize people love evening gowns for their glamour, so I offer you first this strapless gown of heavy silk satin mixing pale pink, grey, beige and champagne in its bodice and skirt. Faux pearls and rhinestones cross and emphasis the front bodice. This gown is actually on a turntable in the museum, so you get to see it in its entirety. Then, there is the sketch of a sheer evening gown with long sleeves from the mid-1940s. Notice the belt and cuffs are both embellished.
Lastly, and hardest to see is the quiet embellishment on the back of a navy blue suit jacket from the late 1940s which you have to crane your head to get a glimpse of at the exhibit. The same applique motif appears on the front of the suit as well. Our suits became so boring starting in the 1960s that I always search through older examples for design ideas.
You can find the book here:
https://www.shopchicagohistory.com/a560/making-mainbocher.html
