50s Evening Dress
1950s American Evening Dresses
1950s Hong Kong Evening Gowns
1950s Evening Dresses and Gowns
1950s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
1950s Unknown Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Gowns
1950s Unknown Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
1950s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
1960s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Unknown Evening Dresses
1950s Evening Gowns
1950s American Evening Gowns
1950s American Evening Dresses
1950s German Evening Gowns
1950s Evening Gowns
1950s American Evening Gowns
1950s American Evening Dresses
1950s Evening Gowns
1950s French Cocktail Dresses
Early 2000s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1960s Hong Kong Evening Dresses
1950s French Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s French Cocktail Dresses
1980s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
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50s Evening Dress For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 50s Evening Dress?
Finding the Right evening-dresses for You
With entire museum exhibitions dedicated to examining fashion designers and their creations, we’re finally recognizing that costuming is art. Evening dresses over time have conveyed specific statements about social class, position and beliefs. Fashion is a powerful means of self-expression, and sophisticated vintage evening dresses and gowns by our favorite couturier play no small role in making us feel wonderful but, perhaps more importantly, making us feel like ourselves.
In the 16th century, dresses and gowns were so important that England's Queen Elizabeth I defined rules about what dresses women could wear — guidance included long skirts and fitted bodices. Forward-thinking designers have responded to this history.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel reimagined traditionally masculine garments for feminine shapes, and her elegant evening dresses and gowns promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by layers of fabric. Christian Dior's gowns celebrated luxury and femininity in the late 1940s — and gave to women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of the war. French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent introduced innovative and highly coveted dress designs in the 1960s while at the same time challenging sexist stereotypes about which members of society could wear tuxedos.
Works by unconventional British designer John Galliano — featured in houses like Givenchy and Dior — redefined limits that dressmakers faced in terms of material, construction and vision during the late 20th century. From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless Dior newspaper dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably collectible and newsworthy
Today’s designers target an increasingly broad audience with their boundary-crossing work, and their tendency to play off of each other’s ideas means that every walk down the runway is also a walk through an entire history of fashion design and dress craftsmanship.
Whether you gravitate toward backless maxi dresses or silk charmeuse gowns by Alexander McQueen or embellished, ruffled floral-print designs by Chloe or Versace, there is an extraordinary collection of vintage and designer evening dresses and gowns waiting for you on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 7, 2024The difference between an evening dress and an evening gown is length. An evening gown is generally a full-length garment that falls between the ankles and the floor. An evening dress is a semi-formal or formal dress designed to be worn at night or on special occasions. Evening gowns are one type of evening dress, and you can also find examples with mini, knee-length and midi-length hemlines. Shop a wide range of evening gowns and other evening dresses on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 20211950s-style dresses are often called poodle skirt dresses. The dress is generally a fit-and-flare shape with a wide swing skirt. Another popular type of dress is the form-fitting sheath, also known as a pencil dress.
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