i64615 |
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Object Description
| Basic ID | Cocktail dress, 1953. Silk satin, wool crepe. Charles James, U.S.A. Worn by donor Mrs. Albert H. Newman née Muriel Kalls. 1978.145.2 |
| Artists/Makers |
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer) Samuel Winston Inc. (manufacturer) |
| Title | Empress Josephine sweatshirt dress |
| Other Title | Dress |
| Place of Origin | United States |
| Date | 1953 |
| Description | Dress of dark blue silk satin and black wool broadcloth. Satin bodice is sleeveless with wide neckline, blousing out until it is nipped in at Empire waist. Wool sheath skirt falls to mid-calf. |
| Materials/Techniques |
silk (fiber) satin wool (hair) |
| Marks | Samuel Winston/by Charles James |
| Object History | This ready-to wear dress was initially designed for and marketed by mass-manufacturer Samuel Winston. The exact number of copies manufactured is unknown, but at least one additional version (in brown and black wool) exists, located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The name of the dress is a reference to the French Empress Josephine, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, who lived in an era when the waist of a fashionable women's ensemble was located directly under her bust. This style, often called Empire waist, another nod to the Napoleonic period, is still popular today. The use of the name "sweatshirt" in the title of this dress refers to the tight fitting knit tops popular throughout the mid-twentieth century. |
| Curatorial Statement | Although this ensemble looks like a high-waisted skirt and satin blouse, it is actually a one-piece dress with a center back zipper. If James had not joined the blouse to the skirt, the wearer would have to continually adjust the fit. He solved this difficulty by creating a two-layered top: the inner layer is cut tight to the body and joined to the skirt, while the outer layer is allowed to blouse but is held in place in the Empire waist seam. The alterations to the hem of this dress created more of an hourglass silhouette than James had intended. |
| Subjects | Newman, Muriel Kallis Steinberg, 1914-2008 |
| Object Types | dresses (garments) |
| Classification | costume (mode of fashion) |
| Categories |
clothing main garments |
| Credit Line | Gift of Mrs. Albert H. Newman |
| Owner | Chicago Historical Society |
| Exhibition History | Charles James : Genius Deconstructed. Chicago History Museum (2011/10/22 - 2012/04/16) |
| Object Number | 1978.145.2 |
| Image File Name | i64615.jpg; index.cpd |
| Rights | All rights reserved. Contact Chicago History Museum, Rights & Reproductions (rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org) for use. |
| Collection Name | Costume and Textile Collection |
| Repository | Chicago History Museum. 1601 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60614-6038 |
Additional Information
| Basic ID | Cocktail dress, 1953. Silk satin, wool crepe. Charles James, U.S.A. Worn by donor Mrs. Albert H. Newman née Muriel Kalls. 1978.145.2 |
| Title | i64615 |
| Description | Front view |
| Rights | All rights reserved. Contact Chicago History Museum, Rights & Reproductions (rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org) for use. |
| Collection Name | Costume and Textile Collection |
| Repository | Chicago History Museum. 1601 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60614-6038 |
