Berkshires - Evening Dresses and Gowns

J. Suzanne Talbot was a celebrated designer during the 1920s and onward in France, known particularly for her hat designs. This dress from the 1950s, be...

Quintessential 1980s aesthetic defines this outfit from Louis Feraud, its brightly colored print bustier dominated by gambling motifs appliquéd and embroidered on a red satin ground...

C. 1960s Ted Lapidus dress fashioned of black devoré velvet on a chiffon ground, the floral-design velvet enhanced with black sparkles that catch the light. Stylewise, the dress feat...

Simple and elegant sheath by Carolina Herrera in ivory crepe with silver and gold metallic vertical stripes. Jewel neckline, long sleeves with zippered wrists. Fully lined. Shoulder ...

The perfect dress to have in your wardrobe, this chic LBD from Frank Tignino will take you many places. In black wool crepe, the dress has an inverted V ...

LBD from the 1960s in crepe featuring a high-waisted bodice decorated with fan-shaped black beads and interspersed with rhinestones. A-line skirt with soft, wide pleats at back, wais...

1960s black crepe sheath from Lilli Diamond, one of California's foremost manufacturers during the mid-twentieth century. The simple tank shape hugs the body and is embellished with ...

Easy wearing, long shift with handkerchief hem, 3/4 sleeves, and shirred scoop neck finished with a large bow. Fabricated of a lightweight synthetic in aqua and gold. No label, but a...

c.1970 A-line dress in black double knit with a funnel neck and long set-in sleeves with turned-back cuffs. Adorning the front neck is a V of three rows of rhinestones composed of large and small sizes alternating on the two outer rows, with the smaller ones forming the center row; within the V is a sprinkling of the rhinestones. The wrists are trimmed with the same rhinestone pattern as the V. The dress is unlined except for the V; metal zipper in back. Labelled Abellá Paris...

Pauline Trigère was known for her architectural designs, as exhibited here in a LBD from the latter part of her career. The narrow simple shape of the body in black wool crepe contra...

Jean Louis Scherrer 1980s cocktail dress in feather weight charcoal and silver metallic fabric is distinguished by its extra wide matching belt. High n...

Black knit 1960s sheath with allover beading in iridescent sequins and beads. Sleeveless, with a straight neckline, slim skirt and fitted through the body. Metal zipper in back. Line...

1980s black sequin blouson dress featuring a V neck, a narrow skirt with side slit, and deep cuffs terminating the long, loose sleeves. Elastic hip. Pulls...

This unusual mid-century lingerie-style black mini dress with a semi-transparent skirt that conjures a historic pinup-girl like Bettie Page is suitable as a mini dress as part of an evening ensemble. It was probably meant by its New York designer to be paired with slim cropped pants, which became popular in The States after worn by Hollywood-movie actresses Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. The A-line short dress was most likely made by the former ready-to-wear fashion company following the revolutionary debut by French Christian Dior of his couture cinched-waist-voluminous-skirt "New Look" collection, whereafter German Sonja de Lennart introduced "Capris" in 1949, and American Hugh Hefner launched Playboy magazine in 1953. The complex hourglass-shaped garment features a double v-neck four-seamed ruched lined bodice in a crepe silky woven fabric. Its defined gathered bust extends from the chest seams at two angles to form short dolman sleeves only in the front, while there are arm seams in back. The gathered see-through black faux-lace organza flared skirt reveals a black velvet-textured scalloped floral pattern with a net underlayer. With beige lining, the self-trim band at the waist enables the folded scalloped-lace pattern to continue to stand out on the opaque black torso. The edges of the peplum and sleeves are further cut in a scallop shape to resemble more delicate eyelash-lace trim. The brand label of the obsolete line is the only interior tag that remains. Camouflaging the midsection, the flattering dress will best suit a U.S.-size 6. It can also be worn by larger sizes with a relatively slim waist and small or large bust as there is no restriction at the hips or wide armholes. At the waistline, a hook and looped cord fasten over the bypass zipper to better conceal it. Notably, the steel-tab-and-teeth zipper is an original U.S-made Murlen model, which was used in new clothes from the 1940s to 1960s and helps to date the mid-century dress.

In an atypical Japanese-dye color for Rei Kawakubo, in 1999 she designed this translucent salmon-pink bias-cut satin sleeveless maxi dress evening gown for her brand Comme des Garcons, which debuted on a model at Paris Fall Fashion Week as "Look 12" among the Vogue photo-coverage of her Spring/Summer 2000 collection (see our last photo of the ensemble). The unusual V-neck shape creates a deep central drape in the front of the unlined dress that prevents the synthetic semi-transparent fabric from clinging to the torso. To continue to flatter the curvy shape of the lower body like the bias-cut enables, such as while walking, Kawakubo added an additional piece of fabric with a circling angular seam that rises from the wider hem. With the exception of the brand tag, all others were cut off by the sole owner to eliminate bulk and visibility through the dress. If the buyer would prefer, the fabric can be made shinier and completely smooth with professional pressing. If the buyer would like to create a layered ensemble with this gown as seen on the runway, we have other textural colorful tops to choose from with over-dyed unique appliques from this same Spring/Summer 2000 collection. However, we think our backless-mannequin photos show that this minimal dress...

Around 1970 when he introduced his eponymous brand after becoming a leading couture fashion designer among New York City society, American Bill Blass created this sleek tuxedo-like e...

c.1970 Victor Costa for Romantica long dress combining a black sequin bodice juxtaposed with a large-scale taffeta plaid for the full ankle-length skirt and short puffed sleeves, a n...

Emma Domb was a California designer known for her cocktail, evening, and wedding attire created first under the Party Lines label and then under the label Emma Domb. This long dress ...

Pink wool crepe shift dress, the round neckline and short sleeves embellished with intricate beading consisting mostly of varied crystals and gold thread. The slightly A-line silhoue...

A great LBD from Victor Costa with a sweetheart necklace and stand-away shoulders. Fashioned of a black satin blend of silk and rayon, the dress features shirred details on the brace...

Unique cocktail dress by J. Mendel intricately constructed of charcoal wool and black faille and featuring a silver fox border which peeks out of...