Exquisite Original Early 1940s Vintage Black Silk Velvet And Lamé Film Noir Dress With Statement Pockets

This exceptional dress was made in the early 1940s from luxurious black silk velvet. It was cut in the classic hourglass silhouette of the period with structured padded shoulders and a tightly nipped waist. The front of the bodice was crafted from shimmering silver lamé which has been expertly darted to fit the wearer’s shape closely. A small collar leads to a long metal zipper that fastens the dress at the front. However the real statement feature of this piece are the huge draped hip pockets, lined in lamé, which give a wonderful sculptural element to the fitted wriggle skirt. This exquisite dress has a real film noir vibe and could have stepped out of a Hollywood silver screen movie. 

Bust: 36”

Waist: 27”

Hips: 44”

Length: 50”

The dress is in very good condition with only a few small snags to the lamé under the right arm and some tiny flaws as pictured. 

4700

This garment is available to purchase with or without dress shields. These clever little contraptions have been made by our seamstress to an original 1940s pattern and can be simply attached to your garment by tack stitching at the corners of the underarm seam, pinning (we wouldn’t recommend that, it hurts if it goes wrong, so if you try this, it is at your own risk only) or inserting tiny poppers. They then stand ready to absorb any sweat and body odours as needed and you can simply detach and launder them instead of your garment, saving you a fortune in dry cleaning bills.

They are equally suitable for suits, blazers and dresses and come in pure white cotton.

They are universally sized and super easy to use even for a sewing novice as only a couple of tiny stitches are required at each side to secure them.

We sell Dress Shields as a standalone item or at a discount if you purchase them with a garment. We will select the appropriate type to match the garment you have purchased.