Teal blue dress and cropped jacket designed by Ann Lowe
- Designed by
- Lowe, Ann, American, 1898 - 1981
- Worn by
- Trevor, Florance Colgate Rumbough, American, 1927 - 2008
- Date
- 1950s
- Medium
- dress: silk satin, silk faille, gauze, buckram, and metal fasteners;
- jacket: silk satin, gauze, and metal fasteners
- Dimensions
- H x W (.1 flat): 49 1/2 × 23 in. (125.7 × 58.4 cm)
- H x W (.2 flat): 15 1/2 × 25 in. (39.4 × 63.5 cm)
- Description
- Teal blue floral brocade dress (.1) and cropped jacket (.2) designed by Ann Lowe and worn by Florance Colgate Rumbough Trevor.
- The dress (.1) is made from a teal blue silk satin with an all-over brocaded medium-scale design of scattered flowers with leaves and stems in shades of pink, blue, copper, and green. The dress is strapless with a plunging V at the back of the fitted bodice. A self-fabric band is sewn across the front at the natural waist which continues down each proper side of the skirt to the hem. The skirt is nearly flat in the front but is heavily gathered into small pleats at the back. It has a slight train at the center back. Self-fabric pre-tied bows are sewn down the sides of the skirt on top of the self-fabric band, three (3) on each side. Two (2) of these bows are sewn at the center back bodice, one at the top edge and one at the waist. The dress closes at the center back bodice with a zipper and one (1) metal hook-and-eye at the top. Each of the bows snaps onto the proper left side on top of the closed zipper with one (1) metal snap each.
- The interior bodice of the dress is lined with blue silk faille. Boning is sewn between the facing and lining around the bodice. There is a thin band of elastic sewn across the front bodice outlining the breast cups. A wider band of elastic is sewn below the bust line that fastens at the center back with two (2) metal hook-and-eyes. A band of cream ribbon is sewn around the interior waist band that fastens at the center back with two (2) metal hook-and-eyes. Cream fabric hanger straps are sewn at each side of the bodice. There is a metal eye at each front side top edge above each breast, corresponding to a hook in the jacket (.2). The attached petticoat of the skirt is made from the blue silk faille and has a separate interior closure using one (1) metal snap and one (1) metal hook-and-eye, fastening inside underneath the outer zipper closure. The attached faille petticoat is lined in white buckram. The facing fabric of the skirt is lined in cream gauze that is slightly stiff, with this lining sewn into the seams with the facing fabric and separate from the inner petticoat. Circular metal weights covered in the facing fabric are sewn around the interior hem of the skirt. There are no labels in the dress.
- The cropped jacket (.2) is made from the same teal brocaded silk satin as the dress. The bottom of the jacket falls at the bust line and has a shawl collar with short sleeves. It closes at the center front below the bust using two (2) metal hook-and-eyes. A pre-tied self-fabric bow is sewn over the closure, fastening on the proper right with one (1) metal snap. The jacket is lined in the same cream gauze used to line the facing fabric of the skirt on the dress. Short straps made from the blue silk faille used to line the dress bodice with one (1) metal hook on the end are sewn at the front side, fastening to the eye sewn to the interior top edge of the dress bodice above each breast. The proper right strap of the jacket is missing. There are no labels in the jacket.
- Classification
- Clothing - Fashion and Historical
- Type
- dresses
- jackets
- Topic
- Clothing and dress
- Design
- Fashion
- Fashion design
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Estate of Florance Rumbough Trevor
- Object number
- 2014.73.2.1-.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.