Baby Doll' cocktail dress, crêpe de chine, satin and lace

In 1957 and 1958 Balenciaga produced a group of flounced lace dresses. They were known as 'Baby Doll' dresses. This one has a provocative tight black crêpe de Chine underdress. You can see it clearly through the semi-transparent black lace overdress. This overdress is very wide and flared. It has short sleeves and a low waist with a gathered flounced skirt. Two giant black satin bows mark the middle of the neck and the middle of the waist. They also add to the child-like theme.