Pauline Trigere launched her label in 1942. She had moved to the US from Paris in 1937 and her designs always have that bit of a French feel to them. By 1949 she had been awarded a Coty and won one again in both 1951 and 1959. The 1959 win coincided with being inducted into the Coty Fashion Hall of Fame. She as a pioneer in the use of cottons and wool for evening, In 1961 she made headlines for being the first major fashion house to use an African American model. This is a gorgeous example of her work 

The dress is exquisite and a wonderful example of the high end workmanship that dresses in this time period were being made with. It definitely had a bit of an influence from her earlier work in the fifties and sixties that I love. The base of the dress is made from a black wool crepe and you can see that fabric on the bodice where it hugs the body and curves into a sweetheart shape over the bust. This then nips in at the waist. Under the outer lace skirt layers the dress continues and extends into an inner skirt that is more of a pencil shaped skirt. This inner skirt is the same crepe fabric as the bodice. Over that inner skirt there are the very full outer layers of the skirt. I did not add a crinoline so the fullness you see is actually how much fullness it has and that is created just through the cut and design. I think if you wanted a very full skirt you could modify that very inner layer so that you could add a crinoline under it if you wished (or if needed - expand the inner skirt to simply to add more room through the hips). The outer skirt is made from two layers. The very top layer is the black lace that you see and then between the inner skirt and lace is a silk chiffon layer that is achieved by a stripe of stiffening through and around the hem to help hold the shape and give volume. More lace is then attached to the bodice to create the shoulders of the dress. These are done in the same black lace as the skirt. It dips in a V at the front and then the back has a keyhole slit between the buttons at the neck and the zipper. I love how all the edges of the lace are finished in a slight scallop for a pretty and delicate detailing. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in a black silk and then has the layers over the inner skirt as described above. Closes with a back painted metal zipper and buttons at the back of the neck. Hand finishes. Looks to have been worn very little if at all

Shoulders: no defined seams
Bust: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 17" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 25.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3842

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.