Evening Gown with Bolero Jacket

This slim, continuously worked dress consists of two broad lengths of bias cut fabric that cross each other in the front to form the straps. These dictate the V-shaped neckline and mirrored hemstitch seam that reaches to the hip and connects both layers of fabric. Beneath this, the dress is open. Two narrow ties long enough to be wrapped several times around sit at waist height. A narrow piece of fabric that grows wider toward the hem is in the central back. Here, the fabric is joined with sculptural piping seams that trace the gentle curves of the body. The back v-line is nearly waist deep. A short cape, open at the back and cut in the round, closes in the back with a wide band of fabric. This, like the dress, is simply pulled over the head. The unusual execution of the cut and fine tailoring suggest an attribution to Madeleine Vionnet.