Dress

Black silk satin dress. Ankle length, low cut V-neck front and back, much lower cut at the back than the front. The short sleeve is formed by a wide strip which covers only the underarm panel with three folds on each side and leaving the shoulders bare. Two straps across the back covering in a sash mode down to the waist. Bust and, at the back, waist darts. On the lower panel it carries a layer of the same fabric finished with large peaks. Closes on the left side and the waist straps have metal hooks and fasteners.

This dress exemplifies the change in silhouette experienced in womenswear in the 30s and which Patou, who started his career by making sports clothing, uses in his evening gowns. The straight line of previous years leaves room, as in this case, for a sleek and sinuous figure, where the waist returns to its natural position, skirts are expanded, flared out and evening dresses carry tail, while the neckline is peaked and highlights the shoulder. It is a natural evolution of the long Charleston outfits of the decade prior to the 1929 crisis which transformed jovial outfits into elegant ones.