cocktail dress

Summary

Cocktail ensemble, the reversible black silk woven with closely scattered white dots. Square neck with reversed peaked square collar with boned edge; half length sleeves, also with reversed turn-back peaked cuffs; princess line with v-shaped pockets at waist and long cf opening fastening with hooks and eyes, and decorated with 22 circular black and pearl buttons; very full circular skirt; unlabelled but certainly couture, and likely to be Balmain, Paris - see 2008.49 and 51. Worn by Mrs Barbara O'Connell who was born in the mid 1920s. and probably purchased by her husband, Roy, from Balmain's house in Paris in about 1950. Although she wore it herself, it was imported, with others, to England to be used as a pattern for Bestway paper patterns. Mr O'Connell was the chief editor of the Amalgamated Press, and a francophile who wanted French couture to be more widely copied in England. He acquired model garments direct from the couture shows twice a year. At about the same time, he bought outfits from Dior and Hartnell in London (see 2008.50) Mrs O'Connell recalled meeting Balmain ('charming'), and Hartnell in the early 1950s at their Couture Houses, and also Dior in the south of France. See also Hartnell 2008.50 and Balmain 2008.49&51