$1,140Sale Price|20% Off
Size: Medium
1960s Elio Berhanyer Demi Couture Black Silk Chiffon + Wool A - Line 60s Dress
Located in San Diego, CA
Chic vintage 60s ELIO BERHANYER Demi Couture black silk chiffon and wool A - Line dress ! Berhanyer
Courreges 1960s Color Block Dress
By André Courrèges
Located in Water Mill, NY
A beautiful color block wool dress alternating panels of black and royal blue from Courreges. It is an A-line dress flaring subtly to the hem and has a stand up collar, back zipper,...
$2,495
Size: 44 / US 10 - 12
Vintage Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Sz 44 Black Corset / Bustier Dress YSL
By Yves Saint Laurent
Located in San Diego, CA
Drop dead gorgeous vintage Yves Saint Laurent 'Rive Gauche' YSL black dress! Quite possibly the most flattering dress I have ever seen! This rare beauty does wonders for the body! Co...
$500
Size: vintage 12; comparable to size M
Dove Gray A-Line Shift Dress with Bead-Crusted Neckline and Pockets - M, 1960s
Located in Tucson, AZ
Perfect for brunch, weddings and cocktail parties, this heavyweight linen dress combines crisp geometry with masterful but discrete beading. Its Mod fingertip pockets and gentle A-li...
$795Sale Price|20% Off
Size: Small Medium
Chic 1960s Pucci Style Bell Sleeve Olive Print Silk Vintage 60s A Line Dress
Located in San Diego, CA
Chic 1960s colorful olive print Pucci style 3/4 bell sleeve A-Line dress! Features a burgundy maroon background with olives printed throughout in yellow, green, pink, blue, teal and ...
1960s Nan Duskin "Summer Roses" Print Silk Chiffon Sheath Dress w Clear Sequins
By Nan Duskin
Located in Gresham, OR
1960s Nan Duskin "Summer Roses" Print Silk Chiffon Sheath Dress w Iridescent Sequins Throughout: Wiggle sheath style in a watered silk print of red, yellow, orange and green. Matchin...
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Size: 10 / 12
1990s Linda Segal Size 10 12 Red White Colorblock Pique Cotton Vintage 90s Dress
By Linda Segal
Located in San Diego, CA
Stylish and flattering early 90s LINDA SEGAL lipstick red and white colorblocked pique cotton sleeveless nautical sheath dress ! Linda Segal pieces were often worn by Fran Fine, play...
$550
Size: none; comparable to size L
Red Silk Sleeveless Cocktail Dress w Convertible Draped Scarf Back - L, 1960s
Located in Tucson, AZ
An ingenious design, this dress features a draped shoulder-to-shoulder scarf that may be worn in the back, the front, or even on the head for three different and completely captivati...
1970s Halston Couture Black Silk Chiffon Beaded Long Sleeve Vintage 70s Dress
By Halston
Located in San Diego, CA
Exceptional vintage 70s HALSTON Couture black silk chiffon beaded dress and sash belt or head scarf! Features a separate black silk chiffon slip with three layers of chiffon and nude...
Jean Paul Gaultier Sweater with Belt 1990s
By Jean Paul Gaultier
Located in Water Mill, NY
A fabulous rust orange striped wool sweater from Jean Paul Gaultier. It has long sleeves, a standup collar with functional silver buttons closure along it's side and one shoulder and...
$790Sale Price|20% Off
Size: 6
Bill Blass Pink White Polka Dot Hand Painted Fit and Flare Vintage Dress, 1990
By Bill Blass
Located in San Diego, CA
Chic 90s BILL BLASS pale pink and white hand painted polka dot fit n' flare cocktail silk taffeta dress! Features large handpainted polka dots throughout. Attached white lace underla...
Holly Harp Barbie Pink 1970s Silk Angel Sleeve Dress
By Holly Harp
Located in Water Mill, NY
A beautiful vibrant pink silk mini dress from Holly Harp. It has a crew neckline with a back keyhole and a self covered button above it. The dress is cut straight from the shoulder...
Roberto Cavalli 2003 Runway Cut-Out Silk Gown Showstopper Dress
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Berlin, BE
Holy Grail Archival Cavalli Gown Thie beautiful Roberto Cavalli’s Spring/Summer 2003 gown is an exquisite statement in feminine allure, a masterpiece of fluid elegance. Well documen...
Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner 1960s Wool Plaid Jacket + Skirt Suit Ensemble
By Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner
Located in Sparks, NV
Vibrant plaid jacket and skirt set by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner. Gold buttons and chain detail. Pleated skirt. Details: Fully Lined Front Snap Closure On Jacket/ Side Hoo...
1950s Philip Hulitar Ivory and Black Velvet Pearl Encrusted Beaded Gown
By Philip Hulitar
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This vintage Phillip Hulitar 1950s, ivory silk chiffon and black velvet cocktail dress is the perfect party dress or great for wedding. Gown has intricate black velvet, ivory silk ch...
Sybil Connolly Skirt Suit 1960s
By Sybil Connolly
Located in Water Mill, NY
An incredible red suit in intricately pleated fine linen made famous by Sybil Connolly. The jacket closes in front with matching silk buttons, bound buttonholes with matching silk pi...
Ceil Chapman Black Cocktail Dress with Draped Detail Size Small
By Ceil Chapman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This Ceil Chapman cocktail dress is composed of a black silk. The dress features a drape detail at the waist and shawl style draping at the upper back. There is an interior foundatio...
Luxurious and versatile, designer day dresses are as well suited to tea at an upscale hotel as they are to your next garden or rooftop party.
Today’s featherlight unisex day dresses — as well as the vibrant vintage day dresses of the 1950s and ’60s — look quite different from the heavy, fabric-rich de rigueur garments of the Victorian era. In the late 19th century, a woman of a certain standing might have multiple dresses to wear throughout the day: specifically, one or two for the daytime and one for the evening. For example, a long-sleeve silk dress with a prominently flared back and a round collar of gold beaded lace that hugs the neck would be suitable for stepping out during the day, while a velvet gown trimmed in silk embroidery but overall comparatively informal in appearance would be worn for afternoon tea at home. At night, a silk velvet evening dress could feature natural world motifs such as butterflies (a characteristic of Art Nouveau design) and have short sleeves adorned with lace and ruffles and a scooped neckline — the perfect attire for the theater.
During the 1920s, after all the chores were done, a woman would change from her housework clothing into a more fashionable day dress to run her errands or socialize. Some 1920s day dresses were brightly colored and featured bold patterns — a cotton dress with a dazzling floral print, perhaps, or, in the case of the more venturesome Art Deco apparel sold in high-end couture fashion boutiques of the era, semi-sheer silk garments embellished with three-dimensional beadwork or rich metallic gold lamé.
Today, a closet full of casual vintage day dresses is a must-have. Whether you opt for black, crimson or beige, day dresses bring an element of glamour to your next appointment, and in the summer, who doesn’t love a wonderfully simple, lightweight day dress cut in cotton and linen?
Because different fashion designers of every decade have offered their own take on the widely loved day dress, you’ll be able to find a variety of vintage and designer day dresses on 1stDibs. Search by creator to find enduring designs by the likes of Emilio Pucci, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, or browse by period to uncover a scintillating collection of cotton and satin patterned dresses of the 1950s and ’60s.
Costumer to the stars Ray Aghayan brought the famed painting to life with his spectacular design.
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Jeriana San Juan explains how she undertook the intimidating project of designing costumes for the new Netflix series about the New York fashion legend. (Hint: She found vintage Halston on 1stDibs!)
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This year's Costume Institute exhibition is all about embracing the eccentric.
Ballrooms, Bar Suits and British royals — in a sweeping exhibition, the London museum looks back on 70 years of the French fashion house, as well as its illustrious founder and his fondness for the United Kingdom.