James designed this dress for New Yorker Millicent Rogers in 1949. Two year later the design appeared in Vogue magazine, when it was photographed by Horst and included in James's "black and white" collection. James described the dress as a...
Designed initially in black silk chiffon and tulle, this gown became James's most executed custom order. Vogue featured the garment in 1951. James's wife, Nancy, wore it in the mid 1950s and he created at least one version with a cocktail-length...
In 1934, as James's reputation as a dressmaker was growing, his mother arranged for a showing of his collection at Marshall Field and Company, Chicago's socialites "came to see their insouciant young friend, whose hats were thought clever but whose...
Mrs.Donnelley was one of James's first clients and became aware of his talents through her friend, James's mother, Louise Brega James. Many of James's first clients were friends of his mother and his family who lived in Chicago dating back to the...
Mrs.Donnelley was one of James's first clients and became aware of his talents through her friend, James's mother, Louise Brega James. Many of James's first clients were friends of his mother and his family who lived in Chicago dating back to the...
In the late 1950s, James created a limited number of designs for Albrecht Furs using a faux fur called Borgana, which was supplied and marketed by the company. Although James liked to experiment with manmade materials for the interiors of his...
In James's ranking of his top four creations, the Pagoda came in at number four for its emphasis on the "fine art of tailoring." Originally designed in 1954, Harper's Bazaar featured the suit in its July 1955 issue, the same year it was purchased...
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. ...
This dress is called Infanta, or sometimes Williamsburg, referring to skirts worn at two different times in history. Infanta was a title used by royal women in the seventeenth century Spanish court, whose wide skirts are captured in paintings by...
This coat was once a set of drapes that hung in the apartment of Mrs. Potter Palmer II where Mrs. Eugene Davidson moved following Mrs. Palmer's death. The drapes did not suit Mrs, Davidson, so she took them to James and asked him to create a coat...
James launched this mermaid-like gown early in his career and created several versions of it over a period of twenty years. The name of the dress, La Sirène, refers to sea creatures in Greek mythology who used their enchanting voices to lure...
James created his first Tree gown in 1955; this version followed two years later. He stated that the design used "faille stretched like a ruched membrane over a stiffened shell molded NOT to the figure of the client, but to the shape I wished it...
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer); Charles James Manufacturers Company (manufacturer)
1955
This dress was made by one of James's numerous business enterprises, Charles James Manufacturers Company, which lasted from 1955 to 1958. Lord and Taylor used the garment in advertisements in the New York Times in 1956, and Harper's Bazaar...
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer); Marshall Field & Company (distributor)
1954
Charles James originally designed the Butterfly ball gown for Mrs. William Randolph Hearst Jr., for the price of $1,250. The sculptural design lives up to a comment once made by Spanish couturier Cristbal Balenciaga, "Charles James is not only the...
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer); Samuel Winston Inc. (manufacturer)
1952
There are four known versions of this dress, including this one worn by Chicagoan, Mrs. Byron Harvey, Jr. The others belonged to Mrs. Jean de Menil, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and Mrs. William Randolph Hearst Jr.
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer); Samuel Winston Inc. (manufacturer)
1953
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...
James, Charles, 1906-1978 (designer); Samuel Winston Inc. (manufacturer)
1951
This dress was initially designed as a ready-to-wear dress for production by Samuel Winston. The precisely placed seams allowed the garment to be tailored to the exact measurements of its wearer. Only one other version is known to still exist: ...
