1950s Chinese Red Silk Cocktail Dress and Evening Coat

 

 

 

What's the absolutely best way to top off a gorgeous cocktail dress?  With an equally gorgeous matching evening coat, silly. And what if that evening coat were designed to be reversible?  Omigawd, now we're talking fashion heaven, girls.  In a Chinese red silk satin embroidered with chrysanthemums, the dress itself is amazing - a slim sheath with straps fashioned from a trio of thin spaghetti straps, braided over the shoulder. A scalloped neckline echoes the shape of a heart by tapering to a belted waist, then skimming the hip. Fully lined in red china silk, with a back zip closure. The  matching open style evening coat reverses to an ivory silk with the same chrysanthemum pattern, and features a shawl collar, cuffed  three-quarter length dolman sleeves, and inseam pockets on both the red and ivory sides of the coat. Dress measures: Bust 33", waist 24", hip 35", length 37.5". Coat is about 39" at the bust, length 38", sleeve (center back to cuff) 19.5". Except for a few faint scattered yellow age spots (collar, shoulder and sleeve) on the ivory side, both pieces are in excellent condition. $375