$1,035Sale Price|20% Off
Size: 12
Vintage Wayne Clark Size 12 Hot Pink Fuchsia + Black Silk Strapless 1990s Gown
By Wayne Clark
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous 90s WAYNE CLARK fuchsia and black strapless mermaid evening dress! Features a flattering tiered ruffle bodice, with a black silk flower appliqué on the back. For fitting ski...
Sold
Size: See Description
Vintage Wayne Clark Green Silk Chiffon Strapless Evening Dress With Wrap Shawl
By Wayne Clark
Located in Portland, OR
This elegant full length green silk chiffon Wayne Clark dress was purchased at the couture boutique Harriet Kassman in Washington DC. The dress is strapless with a ruched bodice and ...
Vintage Patrick Kelly " Barcode " Black & White Avant Garde Mini Dress
By Patrick Kelly
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredibly rare vintage Patrick Kelly "Barcode" dress! Black and white barcode print throughout. Stunning shape, that is very flattering on the body. Looks great alone, or belted. Fu...
Evening dress with train in white to pink dégradé organza ruban Lilly Pulitzer
By Lilly Pulitzer
Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR
Evening bustier dress with train in white to fuschia dégradé organza ruban raw cut. Boned bustier inside the dress. Zip in the middle back. Size M
F/W 2001 Gianni Versace by Donatella Runway Saddle Brown Leather Backless Gown
By Gianni Versace, Donatella Versace for Gianni Versace
Located in West Hollywood, CA
TheRealList presents: an incredible caramel brown Gianni Versace gown, designed by Donatella Versace. From the Fall/Winter 2001 collection, this gown debuted on the season's runway a...
1990s Vintage Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld Yellow Chiffon Angel Blouse w/ Rhinestones
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous vintage Chloe blouse, designed by Karl Lagerfeld! Butter yellow color, on scrumptious silk chiffon. Angel-like bell sleeves, with rhinestones encrusted around collar, and at...
2000s Roberto Cavalli Gold Sequin Drop Waist Flapper Style Dress
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
2000s Roberto Cavalli gold dress embellished in large sequins paillette, drop waist flapper style, and racer back. Marked size 40IT fit size 4/6 Measurement: Bust fit up to 34” Wais...
1990s John Richmond Black Minimalist Sexy Vintage 90s Slip Dress LBD
By JOHN RICHMOND
Located in San Diego, CA
The perfect vintage early 90s JOHN RICHMOND black slip dress! Simple, yet super flattering! V neck bodice with spaghetti straps. Unique net hem reveals just the right amount of skin....
$5,995
Size: 40 / US 6
NWT $7.5k Roberto Cavalli Fall 2006 Black Sequin Zebra Print Plunging Back Gown
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in San Diego, CA
Brand new with original $7,500 tags sexy ROBERTO CAVALLI black sequin gown ! This dress has so much attention to details. Thousands of hand-sewn black sequins form a zebra print thro...
$522
Size: 38 (German Vintage Size)
Von Fürstenberg Munich 1950s Bow Embellished Red Silk Couture Cocktail Dress
Located in Munich, DE
This is an enchanting and elegant couture dance dress by Von Fürstenberg from the 1950s. The "New Look" was in full swing at that time and the excessive use of fabric and the full sk...
1920s Peachy Pink and Silver Lame Coat with White Cuffs
Located in London, GB
This show stopping flapper coat was couture made in the mid 1920s. Truly a rare piece to find, especially in such flawless condition and it's one of the best we've handled for nearly...
$4,950
Size: Measurements in description
ROBERTO CAVALLI S/s 2005 Blue Flowing Dip-Dye Gown Seen On Campagne
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in 上海市, Xuhui district
Body Composition: 97% Silk, 3% Lycra Ornaments Composition: 100% Silk Measurements All measurements taken laid flat: - Bust: 18.5" / 47cm - Waist: 14" / 36.5cm - Hips: 19" / ...
Roberto Cavalli F/W 2006 Embellished Beaded Fringed Flapper Open Back Mini Dress
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Roberto Cavalli F/W 2006 Embelished Beaded Fringed Flapper Open Back Mini Dress Size IT 40
Vicky Tiel Draped Illusion and Matte Jersey Gown
By Vicky Tiel
Located in New York, NY
Vicky Tiel's chic and sexy draped stretch illusion gown on a matte jersey base. The illusion is ruched at shoulder and is gathered across bodice and releases to a gathered panel whic...
S/S 1998 Dolce & Gabbana Runway Sheer Black Mesh Beige Bustier Sleeveless Top
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in West Hollywood, CA
From Dolce & Gabbana's Spring/Summer 1998 collection, this sheer black mesh top features a beige interior bra and structured boning at the waist. This playful design made its deb...
$9,796Sale Price|20% Off
Size: IT38
Cruise 2004 Gucci by Tom Ford Brown Paisley Sheer Silk Bandana Leather Gown
By Gucci, Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Tom Ford designed this gorgeous brown paisley high-low gown for his Cruise 2004 collection at Gucci. Constructed of large square silk scarves, this rare gown wraps around the body an...
Bob Mackie Black Embellished Bodice Gown
By Bob Mackie
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a Bob Mackie gown. This gown features long sleeves, gathers at the bust, and draped back. The gown is composed of a stretch black outer material lined with a non-stretch mate...
Torso Creations Canary Silk Crepe Micro-Mini Dress w Extravagant Ostrich Trim
By Torso Creations
Located in Gresham, OR
Torso Creations Canary Silk Crepe Micro-Mini Dress w Extravagant Ostrich Trim: Tank cut neck, fully lined and zippered back. Would be perfect for any costume ball! US size 4-6.
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.