This is a great piece from a quantity of glamourous clothing I found at an estate sale for a woman who had been both an avid collector and entrepreneur with shops in the southwest. Most of the clothing had been stored for some time; just about everything survived well.
The handy tag that the collector had on this great evening outfit dated it the late 40's...I can agree with that. When the New Look appeared, women were delighted to look feminine, classy, and elegant. Strapless gowns were good, but a cover-up of some kind was usually part of the design.
My sweet friend Meera is wearing a great Emma Domb outfit, a long formal dress in a wonderful hot pink and black plaid taffeta. The fabric alone is simply great...what she did with it is even better! The long full skirt is topped by a simple black velvet bodice, lovely in its simplicity but even better with the jacket! The bodice is lined in the taffeta and boned for support; long metal zipper runs up the side.
The jacket a masterpiece of design. The short sleeves with a bit of a turn back cuff is set in dolman style; the front is fastened with self-covered buttons and loops. The collar is the greatest. Starting from the back, it comes to its widest point just in front of the shoulder and is accented with a box pleat (this is very hard to describe!) that makes it stand up and out a bit to frame a pretty face. What a lot of ideas in one small jacket!
The dress measures 16-1/2" through the bustline lying flat, 13-1/2" waist, 50" zipper top to hem. The jacket measures 20" bust, and 17" in length. This outfit is in excellent vintage condition (especially for its age) but would probably benefit from a dry cleaning trip to freshen it.
If you love Emma Domb's things (didn't she love to work in pink!!), this is as lovely an outfit, and well-designed, as it gets. A touch of glamour from the past; a touch of elegance for the future!