1930s Navy Evening Dress with Fishtail

This garment is an evening gown dating from the mid to late 1930s. The body of the dress is made of black creped-back satin, matte side out, and is accented with warm red rayon velvet.

The high, square neckline of the dress is decorated with three horizontal pleats. There is a curved seam running under the bustline, shaped like an upside-down "U," and a second curved seam about mid-thigh. The dress is slightly gathered along the side and center back seams, allowing the dress to hug the hips and buttocks. The dress closes with snaps along the left side, and the red velvet is secured with additional snaps.

Twelve piped velvet cords are joined to create each shoulder strap, which begin at the small of the back and curve under the arms and up around the shoulders before plunging to the center back waist, creating a "V" and revealing the entire back along the way. The bias cut fishtail originates from the point of the "V" and flares to a train nearly three feet in width.

Project by Maura Pauze
Professor: Kathryn Rohe
Spring, 1997