1970s Sandine Originals I. Magnin Black Embroidered Colorful Cotton Maxi Dress
By I. Magnin
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful Sandine Originals I. Magnin 1970s black maxi dress!
1970s Sandine Originals I. Magnin Black Embroidered Colorful Cotton Maxi Dress
By I. Magnin
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful Sandine Originals I. Magnin 1970s black maxi dress!
$713Sale Price|24% Off
Size: Small - Small Medium
1970s Gay Gibson Navy Blue + Red Lightweight Wool Nautical Halter Maxi Dress 70s
Located in San Diego, CA
Chic vintage 70s GAY GIBSON navy blue and red wool halter maxi dress ! Features a tailored navy bodice with a full red skirt. Hidden zipper up the back with hook-and-eye closure. Hoo...
1970s Solid Silver Bugle Bead Wrap and Tie Evening Top w Flutter Shoulder
Located in Gresham, OR
1970s Solid Silver Bugle Bead Wrap and Tie Evening Top w Flutter Shoulder: Fully lined in ivory. Excellent condition in a US 4-6. Great for Holiday soirees!
Oscar de la Renta Red and Black Tribal Print Dress with Ruffle Bottom
By Oscar De La Renta
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oscar de la Renta red, black and ivory tribal ikat batik print sleeveless pencil dress with flared bottom. A thin stiff mesh ring at skirt bottom and light boning at side bust and c...
Ralph Lauren Black Label "Anna Karenina" Black Cashmere Coat Size 8
By Ralph Lauren Black Label
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Ralph Lauren Black Label "Anna Karenia" black cashmere coat. Named for it seaming and fit and flare flattering design. AMazing droped waist in back of coat, it is a round shape to gi...
1960s White and Green Beaded Mini Cocktail Dress
By British Crown Colony
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Vintage 1960s Intricate White and Green beaded sequin floral pattern on white lace mini cocktail dress. Dress is lined in silk but sleeve in unlined. Size: best fit size 0/2 or 4 Bu...
Pale pink silk asymmetrical evening dress ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER
By Alexandre Vauthier
Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR
Pale pink silk asymmetrical evening dress. Invisible Zip and hook&eye closure on the left side . High split on the side front. Boned. SIZE 34 / XS / SAMPLE
1920s Silver Cobweb Lame Flapper Culottes Dress
Located in London, GB
Tailored to a classic 1920s drop-waist silhouette, this is a rare surviving culottes dress from the earlier part of the flapper era and our oldest ever jumpsuit design! This antique ...
GIVENCHY Couture A/W 1998 ALEXANDER McQUEEN Ruby Red Wool Button Front Dress
By Alexander McQueen, Givenchy
Located in Thiensville, WI
GIVENCHY Couture A/W 1998 ALEXANDER McQUEEN Ruby Red Wool Knit Fitted Button Front Dress Circa: 1998 Label(s): Givenchy / Couture / Made In France / Paris / 8HG 8520152830 Desig...
1960s British Couture Black Silk Velvet Polka Dot Maxi Dress
Located in London, GB
This 1960s British couture maxi dress is tailored from a sheer black chiffon smothered in black velvet polka dots with a fluffy, raised texture. It is sleeveless with an elegant wide...
Vintage 1960's yellow sequin beaded cocktail dress wiggle dress UK 12 US 8
Located in Nashville, TN
This breathtaking 1960's yellow knitted wool dress, embellished in its entirety with clear iridescent sequins, and finished with floral beaded details in yellow rocaille beads, and i...
Art Deco French Gloves, Unworn
Located in New York, NY
Charming Art Deco Motif Leather Gloves which have never been worn. They are still stitched together as they were sold in the period. Art Deco leather applique designs at cuff and mat...
Gianni Versace S/S 1993 Runway Vintage Bustier Jacket Top
By Gianni Versace
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Gianni Versace S/S 1993 Runway Vintage Bustier Jacket Top IT 38 Look 36 from the Spring/Summer 1993 Collection. Gianni Versace bustier top featuring double breasted closure at front...
1930s White Cotton Pin Tuck Blouse with Peter Pan Collar
Located in London, GB
One of the best 1930s cotton blouses we've ever had at Circa. Made from a lightweight white cotton mousseline which has been pleated and pink tucked across the front panel. Superbly ...
F/W 1998 Thierry Mugler 'Lingerie Revisited' Black Tuxedo Halter Dress FR40
By Thierry Mugler
Located in West Hollywood, CA
From Thierry Mugler’s Fall/Winter 1998 “Lingerie Revisited” collection, this black halter dress fuses classic menswear tailoring with feminine sensuality. Debuting on the season's ru...
Giorgio Armani Vintage Navy + Beige Silk Striped Pants + Top 2-Piece Ensemble
By Giorgio Armani
Located in Sparks, NV
Chic navy blue and beige silk two piece ensemble with diagonal stripes by Giorgio Armani. Both pieces can be worn together or separately! Details: Unlined Side Pockets on Pants ...
Numbered Courreges Haute Couture Trousers Suit Ensemble
By Courrèges, André Courrèges
Located in Geneva, CH
This ultra chic late 60’s - early 70’s haute couture Courrèges ensemble, is made up of a fitted tunic-top and high waisted trousers. Constructed in dark blue wool, this fully lined s...
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.