Fred Perlberg
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Evening Gowns
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1940s American Evening Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1960s American Evening Dresses
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modern Drop Necklaces
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1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
1960s French Wedding Dresses
1980s American Cocktail Dresses
1930s Unknown Wedding Dresses
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
1920s French Cocktail Dresses
1930s French Evening Dresses
1980s American Evening Gowns
Early 2000s French Negligees
1990s Italian Wedding Dresses
20th Century French Day Dresses
2010s Hungarian Casual Dresses
1990s Italian Shoes
1980s French Jackets
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
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1940s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1970s American Day Dresses
1970s Day Dresses
1940s American Evening Gowns
1950s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s Ballerina Day Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
1950s Wedding Dresses
1950s American Ball Gowns
1960s American Evening Gowns
1980s Unknown Evening Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
1960s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
1960s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
1970s American Day Dresses
1970s Evening Gowns
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s American Evening Dresses
1970s American Maxi Dress
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1960s American Day Dresses
1960s Cocktail Dresses
1940s Maxi Dresses
1940s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1950s Cocktail Dresses
1960s American Evening Dresses
1960s Evening Dresses
1960s Day Dresses
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.