This dress is made of many yards of very fine silk chiffon, so subtly dyed that when the fabric of the skirt is stretched flat, the color differences between the various panels are imperceptible. Only when the chiffon is compacted can the subtle shifts in color (the palest shades of cream, yellow, apricot, peach, pink, and mint green) be recognized.

The dress is built upon a lining, probably made of a rayon and acetate blend. The bodice lining is fitted and boned throughout to properly support the bodice. This bodice is made of 1 1/2" gathered strips of the various colored chiffons woven diagonally and attached to the lining by hand. Two of these strips extend over the shoulders and serve as shoulder straps, angling towards center back as they travel. The top of the bodice in front dips to a point at the wearer's breastbone; in back the top dips 4" lower than the front at center back. Here there is a zippered opening.

The skirt lining appears to be a 3/4 circle with a single seam running down center back. The bottom width of the skirt lining measures roughly 120", and is finished off with a 4 1/2" wide band of stiff crinoline, covered with the lining fabric.

The skirt itself is cut from twelve, bias cut triangles of the various colored chiffons, each gathered at the top and measuring roughly 120" at the bottom. Thus, the bottom width of the chiffon overskirt is over 1440", or 120 feet, or 40 yards--nearly half a football field in length.

Project by Renee Robinson
Professor: Kathryn Rohe
Fall, 1998