Evening dress

This sleeveless evening dress is made of white satin. The bodice is straight cut and fastens on the left side and back with hooks and eyes and snap fasteners. The waistline is in the natural place. The neckline is round, dipping to a 'V' at the back. The skirt is ankle length, straight at the front and wrapping round to the centre back, where it is cut into two hanging panels and draped up under a bow at the waist. The bodice is lined with matching silk. Night life became the focus for the exuberance of the years after the First World War. It gave birth to the most glamorous evening fashions of the 20th century. Evening dresses of the early 1920s were sleeveless, long and feminine. They were

Evening dress · United States · 1920-1922. Satin, lined with silk, hand-sewn. By Unknown. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.