Flounces, Tiers, and Great Big Bows; 1928-1929

This is a variation on my “Hems Going Down” posts. (Part 1:  1926)  (Part 2:  1928.) While collecting images of 1920’s dresses with high-low hemlines, side drapes, back drapes, and handkerchief hems, I realized that I had quite a lot of pictures of late twenties’ dresses with tiers of flounces, often sharing a page with dresses that feature gigantic bows which flow into side drapes, etc.

“Formal Frocks for the Holidays;” Delineator, Dec. 1928. Butterick patterns 2347 & 2367.

Paris led the way, with couture frocks of increasing complexity. This simple, flounced, formal gown is by Chanel:

Formal gown by Chanel, illustrated in Delineator, Nov. 1928.

“This frock, stiffened at the edges, embroidered with chenille, is black net. From Chanel.”

So is this much more complicated red gown, trimmed with a huge bow:

Velveteen evening frock from Chanel, illustrated in Delineator, Nov. 1928.

“Velveteen is now an evening fabric. Chanel has chosen it in red in a very stiff quality for this frock.” The complexity of that cut would be daunting for a stitcher, in any fabric!

Evening gown by Lucien Lelong, illustrated in Delineator, Nov. 1928.

“This is the new tulle frock of the winter — it is all in tulle, from flowers to hemline. Lelong.” Note Lelong’s  indecision about the waistline, with the dress’ belt lower than the waist of the slip.

Evening dress by Vionnet, illustrated in Delineator, Nov. 1928.

“White chiffon and the glitter of white strass and crystal beads are used by Vionnet for this frock.” ‘Strass’ refers to a type of rhinestone. The skirt looks heavy with beading, and it seems to have a draped (cowl) neckline.

Paris evening dress by Louiseboulanger, illustrated in Delineator, Nov. 1928.

“Here Louiseboulanger has revived old-fashioned brocaded satin in brilliant yellow.” [Louise Boulanger’s design house used her name as one word, frequently all in lowercase letters.] Note the enormous amount of fabric used in the side drape — perhaps as much as used for the dress itself!

These dresses by Chanel and Lelong illustrate the accompanying text from The Delineator:

Chanel, left and Lelong, right. Illustrated in Nov. 1928.

“The full skirt  . . . drops at the back in a graceful point almost touching the floor, with a molded bodice cut higher than the slip, giving the effect of a transparent yoke of lace or chiffon . . . . The skirts, almost without exception, have an uneven hemline, and while the favorite movement is toward the back, there are many which have a diagonal line with a deep point on one side. [Like the Vionnet.]“

If there was any doubt about how quickly Butterick’s Paris office could translate designer fashions into patterns for its customers, here are six Butterick patterns which appeared in that same November 1928 issue of Butterick’s Delineator magazine:

“For Dancing, Dining and the Opera,” Butterick patterns 2312, 2314, 2307. Delineator, Nov. 1928. The center dress, if made in softer fabric and without the rose trim, would come very close to the black, chenille-embroidered Chanel.

Dresses “for Dancing, Dining and the Opera,” Delineator, Nov. 1928. Butterick patterns 2315, 2317, 2325. Jacket 1367. The jacket was called a “bridge jacket.”

The bow construction on Butterick 2317 deserves a closer look:

A massive amount of fabric is ruched into the bow of Butterick 2317, Nov. 1928.

Tiers and flounces were also featured in these 1928 patterns:

Butterick patterns 2325, 2314. Delineator, Dec. 1928. The afternoon dress on the left has a high-low hem.

Butterick patterns 2297. 2301, and 2315. Nov. 1928; Delineator. [The dress on the right, made sleeveless, is the black evening dress shown above with a bridge jacket.]

Butterick patterns 2379, 2287, 2366. Delineator, Dec. 1928.

The one on the left above has flounces and a bow. The high/low-hemmed dress at right is for a young woman.

“This lace frock is the most formal of daytime fashions.” Butterick 2430. Butterick 2446, right, has a cowl neckline attributed to Vionnet. It’s rather austere, except for its enormous bow. Feb. 1929, Delineator.

Flounces and great big bows: Butterick patterns 2448 and 2468, Delineator, Feb. 1929. The “bow” on the left seems to be flounces stiffened with horsehair.

Nothing succeeds like excess.

Delineator, December 1928.

Although the “pillow” bow on the right is outrageous, the curved seams in the chiffon dress (far left) and the lace dress (center right) are real tests of sewing skill. The lace dress has both the uneven hem and sheer top  [“the effect of a transparent yoke of lace or chiffon . . . . The skirts, almost without exception, have an uneven hemline.”] described in The Delineator.

Introducing the Winter Mode, by Madeleine Vionnet, 1927

Introducing the Winter Mode, an Article by Madeleine Vionnet

This brief article in The Delineator, published in November, 1927, page 27, is ostensibly written by the couturier Madeleine Vionnet. It may actually be the report of a translated interview; The Delineator also published an article “by Captain Molyneux” in the same series, but I have not yet photographed it. The curvature of the page of the bound volume makes the pattern descriptions at the sides hard to read, so I will transcribe them; they are not written by Vionnet, but are editorial comments on the winter modes and are illustrated by two Butterick patterns, not necessarily Vionnet designs. (The Delineator was published by the Butterick Publishing Company.)  You can read the article — the center column — exactly as printed:

Vionnet Headline and Introduction“Madeleine Vionnet, the famous Paris dressmaker was the first designer to make the unlined frock, discarding the hooks and bones of the tight lining. The famous Vionnet V’s of her modernistic cut made intricate line immensely more important than obvious trimming. Vionnet’s versions of flares and fagoting and bias cuts imbue the basic principles of the new mode with a supreme distinction, an ageless quality, the results of Mme. Vionnet’s own philosophy of dress.”

Vionnet’s Article from 1927

Elegant Evening Dress, Winter 1927

Butterick dress pattern # 1749 and Evening Coat pattern # 1653, November 1927, Delineator, page 27

Under the dress on the left, the text says,

” 1749 – Concerning the evening mode there is no supposition for all its ways are well established. It is a fashion of supreme elegance, of great formality and dignity. Is very feminine in appearance, brilliantly conceived and brilliantly executed. In general the smart evening frock is both long and short due to an erratic hemline which is high in some places and low in others, jagged with points of drapery or elliptical as in the bouffant dresses where the longer line rounds down in back. The decolletage of the season is the low cut oval. This is new and flattering but V and square lines are continued and the latter is particularly distinguished when held by jewelled shoulder straps. Jewels are, in fact, very much a part of all evening dress. White frocks and black frocks depend on them for relief, and not only are there necklaces, bracelets and belt and shoulder touches, but dresses area embroidered with jewels, notably in necklace lines. There is much drapery in the mode, mostly with a left-side tendency, and skirts flare, some of them in most original ways.

“The front flare of the frock above (Design 1749) rises diagonally in a scalloped outline and a wing of drapery breaks the hem. For size 36, 3 1/8 yards 35-inch all-over lace. Designed for sizes 32 to 35 (15 to 18 years) and 36 to 44.”

Evening Wraps: White, Black, and Pastel

Under the coat on the right, the text says,”1653 – As to the evening wrap, it is very smart to match it to the frock, but if the wrap matches one of the frocks of the wardrobe and harmonizes with the others, that is quite in good style and very much less extravagant as the means one wrap instead of a series of them. White is, and has been for two seasons, the first color for evening, its continued vogue explained by the fact that a white frock and sun-bronzed skin is an intriguing combination.  All black, relieved by rhinestones on the frock and by ermine on the wrap, follows white in the scale of evening colors, after which come pastel shades, used so much by Vionnet.  Gray and yellow are sometimes seen and are interesting because they are new.  The evening frock this season is made of transparent velvet, metallic fabrics, Georgette, chiffon, lace, flowered or gauze lamé or tulle – tulle with a gold dot is new. The evening wrap may be a coat or cape of fur, velvet, metallic fabric or brocade. The little evening jackets that are so useful in chilly rooms, or as a means of turning an evening gown into one for afternoon, are of the fabric of the frock.

“The coat illustrated (Design 1653) has a flare across the front with the ripples thrown to the left. For size 36, 4 yards of 39-inch velvet and 2/3 yard of 9-inch fur for binding are required. Designed for sizes 32 to 35 (15 to 18 years) and 36 to 44 [bust measurement.]”

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