Yohji White Dress

The avant-garde Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto has said, “dirty is good.” These three words capture the eccentric designer’s love of a dark and disheveled — yet dapper — look. A master tailor with a distinctive style, he creates everything from coats and jackets to day dresses and evening gowns.

Yamamoto was born to a World War II widow in 1943. By the time he was 26, he had a law degree from Keio University and a fashion degree from Bunka Fashion College. In 1969, he won two Japanese fashion awards — the Endo Award and the Soen Award — which included a round-trip ticket to Paris. 

It was in the French capital that Yamamoto realized the fashion world was changing. A casual aesthetic was replacing formal and classical sensibilities. He soon set up his first label — Y’s — and embarked upon designing heavy-duty sportswear.

Yamamoto launched women’s collections in 1977 in Tokyo, in 1981 in Paris and in 1982 in New York. Their pieces loosened the traditional female clothing silhouette in favor of shapes more typical of menswear: simple cuts, minimal details and generous proportions. In 1983, the New York Times wrote, “Yohji Yamamoto may stand barely five feet tall, but his effect on world fashion in the last two years has been enormous.”

In 1984, he made his first foray into men’s fashion under the Yohji Yamamoto label. In 1994, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and, in 2002, he became the creative director of Adidas’s Y-3.

Yamamoto’s fashion has been the subject of exhibitions around the world, including “May I help you” in 2002 at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, “Correspondences” in 2005 at the Gallery of Modern Art in Florence, Italy, and “Painting and Weaving Opportunity” in 2017 at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. In 2017, he received the DFA Lifetime Achievement Award.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Yohji Yamamoto clothing, accessories, handbags and more.

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.