1970s Oscar de la Renta Silk Floral Dress
If you're a long time Oscar de la Renta fan you probably recognized this as one of his original pieces right away. It's one of his most stunning dresses with its striking combination of blue and yellow. Stunning blue florals on bright yellow gives it a fine hand painted china effect and the pankou or frog buttons pay homage to cheongsams. The bodice is cut high with a banded collar at the neckline. It's cut to skim over the bust to the seamed waist. The sleeves are cut wide and full to billow softly above the wrist. They're unlined so you get a subtle glimpse of skin through the more transparent bands on them. The skirt falls to about midi length and I love the effect of the chiffon over an inner silk lining.
The silk that he chose for the dress is as light as a feather. It's a ribbon weave silk made from a scarf weight silk chiffon that is woven through with thick bands of a more opaque silk. Fully lined in yellow silk with a rear metal zipper and hook and eye closure at the neck.
I could not find the original belt so this stunning historical piece is missing its belt. However, belt or no belt it's still a gorgeous and pristine piece of fashion history.
Included in the images are a version of the dress in red and black, photographed for Vogue in 1972. The same dress was also worn by an influencer, Samantha Angelo, when she attended Paris Fashion Week. These reference photos provide an idea of how gorgeous the dress is once on.
No condition issues.
Details:
- Lightweight silk
- Cheongsam style
- Frog buttons
- Large billowy sleeves
- Blue florals
- Back zipper
- Fully lined in silk
- 1972 Oscar de la Renta "A Chinese Garden of Prints at Night" campaign featured in Vogue
Dimensions:
- Bust: 32"
- Waist: 24"
- Hip: 38"
- Shoulders: 14.5"
- Sleeves: 23"
- Collar to Hem: 55"
- Fits a modern US size 0-2
Material: 100% Silk
Brand: Oscar de la Renta