Exceptional Original 1940s Vintage Striped Evening Gown With Huge Bow From Dorothy Hart Estate

This incredible piece was made in the 1940s from a raw silk blend in a wonderful striped pattern. The alternating green, burgundy, taupe and white stripes have been cleverly used to shape and accentuate the wearer’s body. The clever cut, tailoring and impeccable pattern matching speaks to the wonderful quality of this piece. The thin straps allow the oversized bow at the bust to take centre stage. Underneath, the bodice has been beautifully tailored with boning and shaped cups for a fitted silhouette. The waist has been tightly nipped and gives way to a sweeping full length skirt with lovely movement and swish. This gown is pure luxury! It fastens with an original metal zipper at the back and has an internal waist strap for an improved fit. Amazingly, this piece is unlabelled, however we do know that it belonged to the late Dorothy Hart, a British high society woman, debutante and wife of a millionaire. Her monthly clothing budget was the modern equivalent of £63,000 so you can just imagine the quality of clothing she was able to purchase! 

Bust: 32” plus a little extra room in the cup

Waist: 25”

Hips: Free

Length: 57” plus 1” hem

The dress is in very good condition with only some slight fraying to the straps and a faint mark on the bow that disappears into the folds of the fabric. 

4323

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 two different options:

1. Pure cream cotton for your heavier weight dresses, blazers and suits

or

2. White cotton muslin for lightweight summer dresses (so they don’t show through the fabric)

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.