Vintage Corset Dress
1990s British Vintage Corset Dress
1980s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1960s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1960s American Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Corset Dress
Silver
1960s French Vintage Corset Dress
20th Century Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1980s French Vintage Corset Dress
20th Century Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s British Vintage Corset Dress
1950s Unknown Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1980s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s English Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1980s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1980s French Vintage Corset Dress
1980s American Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s British Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s British Vintage Corset Dress
1980s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s French Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Italian Vintage Corset Dress
1990s Vintage Corset Dress
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Shopping for a Vintage Corset Dress?
Some vintage and designer lingerie includes garments and accessories that are soft to the touch, including nightgowns and slips, while other items are hard, such as structured bras and corsets. Owing partly to bingeable TV dramas and celebrity influencers, the latter is seeing a renaissance — one of many — and if you’re in the market for a vintage corset dress, you aren’t alone.
In the 18th century, European women commonly wore whalebone corsets to create the look of an hourglass figure. Corsets were a standard part of women’s fashion into the 19th century. In 1914, Caresse Crosby filed a patent for the first modern bra, made by sewing two handkerchiefs together with ribbon ties. By the 1920s, the corset fell out of fashion in North America and Europe, and loose silhouettes and silky slips became mainstream.
As fashion returned to feminine forms in the 1930s, so did lingerie, with girdles and minimal bras. During World War II, bras were adapted to the rationing of materials like nylon and metal. In the postwar era, women had more lingerie choices than ever before, with inventions including the strapless bra.
In the late 1980s, performers like Madonna and Selena wore bustiers as outerwear, a trend that continued through the 1990s and early 2000s. With the broadcasting of the Victoria's Secret fashion show beginning in 1995, everyday style also changed. Lingerie was no longer expected to be hidden away.
“Vivienne Westwood is credited as the first designer of the 20th century to reintroduce the corset after it had been dismissed by Paul Poiret at the start of the century,” says Cameron Silver, founder of Decades.
Adds fashion historian Rachel Elspeth Gross, “Westwood’s 1995 Vive La Cocotte show was revolutionary. There was nothing to suggest the heroin-chic, skinny-girl models the world was used to seeing walking down high-fashion runways.” In fact, she continues, “the designer wrote in the program that her ‘return to formality in dress is a reaction against the sloppy mediocrity of our age.’”
Vintage Vivienne Westwood corsets “have become extremely desirable,” says Silver. Furthermore, suggests stylist Nick Collins, they look great paired with classic Levi’s 501s.
On 1stDibs, find a range of alluring vintage and designer corset dresses and other lingerie today.
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 ExpertAugust 20, 2024To tell if a dress is vintage, look at the labels inside. By researching the maker and looking at images of the brand's other designs, you may be able to estimate the age of your dress. The label may even have a date printed on it. Generally, clothing must be at least 20 years old to qualify as vintage. If you need assistance dating your clothing, a knowledgeable expert, such as an appraiser or vintage clothing reseller, can help. On 1stDibs, shop a large collection of vintage dresses.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 9, 2024To tell how old a vintage dress is, use trusted online resources to conduct research. Start by searching for labels that identify the maker. Then, consult online information and images to determine when the brand produced pieces similar to yours. If you run into any problems or would like assistance, consult a certified appraiser or other knowledgeable expert. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of vintage dresses.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023To be considered vintage, a wedding dress has to be at least 20 years old. Many brides opt for vintage wedding dresses due to their timeless style and unique details. Shop a range of vintage and designer wedding dresses from some of the world's top boutiques on 1stDibs.
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