Evening Dress
Havet-Agnѐs
Paris, France
c. 1927
L2011.13.351
Gatsby’s
Women: 1920s Evening Dress from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection
FIDM Gallery Orange County
June 6-November 9, 2013
Monday through Friday (by appointment)
10 am to 5 pm
1920s evening dress was made for movement, and designed with frenetic
dances like “The
Charleston” in mind. Weighted with beads and sequins, these dresses
swung wildly to the sounds of Jazz and clinking cocktails. The flat,
two-dimensional silhouette was radically new, and body-baring fashions
were all the rage—sleeveless styles showed toned, suntanned arms, while
raised hemlines shockingly revealed rouged knees. Enter this
short-lived, liberated era that glittered brightly with Flappers and
Gangsters before the onset of The Great Depression and World War II.
Schedule a time to view Gatsby’s
Women: 1920s Evening Dress from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection by calling Jim Nemmert
at 949-851-6200.
This sounds fascinating! Is there a charge? Also, is there a minimum number of people for appointments? Thank you!
Wow!! Thanks for the lightning quick response and the info on the lecture!! I’m asking my friends if they’re interested in joining me to see this and will contact Jim when we’re ready.
I was wondering how I could find out more about the shoes in the event? They were absolutely gorgeous. I’m usually just a flip flop gal, but I fell in love with those. I was not allowed to take photos and wish I’d thought to take notes. I see no mention of them separately anywhere. Do you have any suggestions for finding out more about the shoes in your event or ones like them? Please
Hi Tui,
Glad you liked seeing the shoes! There are some wonderful period shoes included in this exhibit. If you’re interested in 1920s shoes in general, I’d suggest looking at period sources, like magazine advertisements, fashion editorials, or even old catalogs. You can often find wonderful descriptions, even images, in these types of resources. There are also some great books on historic shoes. One I like is Women’s Shoes in America, 1795-1930 by Nancy Rexford. Lots of detailed information and drawings.
If you can, come back and visit Gatsby’s Women again! It will be open through November 16, 2013.
Under the picture of the dress above, the exhibit time frame says it will be there till November 9. Is it really gone already?
Hi Mary,
Yes, the exhibit is still open! It will actually be open through November 16, an extension of the date originally published in this post. Hope you’re able to visit Gatsby’s Women before it closes in November!