i64732 |
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Object Description
| Type | Physical Object |
| Basic ID | Evening dress, Clover, 1950. Silk satin, silk taffeta. Charles James, United States. Worn by donor Mrs. Howard Linn née Lucy McCormick Blair. 1960.487a |
| Title | Clover |
| Other Title | Dress |
| Artists/Makers | James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer) |
| Place of Origin | United States |
| Date | circa 1948 |
| Physical Description | Dress, evening-style, with silver-colored silk satin bodice and attached dark gray taffeta skirt. Bodice has wide neckline with tulip sleeves, which are supported by a lining of horsehair braiding, synthetic crinoline, lightweight silk taffeta, and dark blue silk organza. Voluminous cloverleaf-shaped skirt; lined with two layers of synthetic crinoline and multiple rows of boning; ankle-length. |
| Materials/Techniques |
silk (fiber) satin taffeta organza |
| Object History | During a visit to the Museum in 1974, James noted that this dress was originally created for Marjorie Merriweather Post. A review of the interior shows numerous alterations, including a large reduction in the overall size of the torso and hips. The sleeves, which were not altered, now appear somewhat out of proportion. Additionally, the dress has heavy wear in peculiar areas -- along the top of the sleeves and around the neck opening. Typically, garments show wear along the hem, underarms, or collar. |
| Curatorial Statement | James designed this cocktail-length dress in 1950. Four years later, he created a floor-length version for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst Jr. Although most fashion historians consider Mrs. Hearst's gown to be James's first four-leaf-clover skirt, this dress is similarly constructed, suggesting that James worked with this concept for years prior to creating the more famous version. James considered this design to be his greatest innovation. He named it the Clover, based on the distinctive shape of the skirt when viewed from above. James constantly pushed the boundaries of dressmaking; here, he used heat-set plastic boning to retain the four-leaf-clover shape. Even today, this technique is found only in the most avant-garde fashions. |
| Classification | costume (mode of fashion) |
| Categories |
clothing main garments evening dress (concept) |
| Object Types |
dresses (garments) evening dresses (garments) crinolines |
| Related Persons | Linn, Lucy Blair, 1886-1978 |
| Credit Line | Gift of Mrs. Howard Linn |
| Owner | Chicago Historical Society |
| Copyright Notice | © 2014 Chicago Historical Society, all rights reserved. |
| Exhibition History | Charles James : Genius Deconstructed. Chicago History Museum (2011/10/22 - 2012/04/16) |
| Object Number | 1960.487a |
| Image File Name | ICHi-64731 |
| Language | English |
| Repository | Chicago History Museum. 1601 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60614-6038 |
| Collection Name | Museum Collection (Chicago History Museum) |
| Research Inquiry | http://libguides.chicagohistory.org/research |
| Licensing Inquiry | Visit https://images.chicagohistory.org or email rightsrepro@chicagohistory.org |
Description
| Basic ID | Evening dress, Clover, 1950. Silk satin, silk taffeta. Charles James, United States. Worn by donor Mrs. Howard Linn née Lucy McCormick Blair. 1960.487a |
| Title | i64732 |
| Copyright Notice | © 2014 Chicago Historical Society, all rights reserved. |
| Repository | Chicago History Museum. 1601 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60614-6038 |
| Collection Name | Museum Collection (Chicago History Museum) |
