Princess-Style Promenade Gown: In the middle of Spring in 1907, Paris design houses were further streamlining fashions so that the lines of the dresses were fluid from shoulder to hem. Tightly cinched waistbands from the first part of the decade had been discarded in favour of princess and empire-style lines.

This dress was designed with the 1909 fashion aesthetics: very tall willowy figure with a marked waist sash. This style is the transition from the over-endowed Gibson Girl to the waistless silhouette shapes of the next 4 years. The silk is very sturdy and fortunately is unweighted (weighted silks tend to disintegrate prematurely and lasts the years only with extreme care). I do not see any shattering at all with this thin and elegant material.

This beautiful 1915 tea dress was sold on eBay by USVainen, a seller (sadly, retired) whose knowledge of vintage fashion was astounding and whose descriptions were delightful. This seller graciously agreed to let me share her images and words on my site, and I think you'll enjoy them as much as I did!