I love when I find these earlier examples of Oscar de la Renta's work. He would heave been more personally involved in them and they really showcase the designer he was to become. The dress beautifully combines several textures that work together wonderfully. It really showcases the the genius of his work and attention to detail. It has a couple of quirks to it so please make sure to read the full condition report below but it is still beautifully wearable.

The dress has a beautiful elegance to it despite all of its glitz and is as striking a dress as it could be. This sense of refinement is a constant in Oscar's work and I particularly love the earlier examples of his work. You can see how many of the elements he used so early in his career carried forward throughout his entire body of work. The dress is made from a sheer black silk chiffon that is lined in a black silk organza. This gives the base a bit of a transparent feel to it while still being completely covered underneath. Onto the top layer is an extensive pattern done in looping bands of sequins that have been sewn onto the dress in stacked rows. Mixed in with the gold sequins are the occasional green and red sequins. These catch the light differently and give the dress even more of a metallic feel. Worked into the sequins are these huge metallic paillettes that are cut into giant swirls. These are placed randomly over the dress and are done in green, gold and blue. Crystals are then hand placed and sewn on top of those. Every inch of the dress is covered. Each sleeve is left unlined for a touch of transparency and each is ringed with a deep brown sable mink cuff. If you are opposed to wearing fur it would be a simple task to un-tack them from the sleeves and wear it without the cuffs or switch them for a faux or feather finish. The neckline is cut wide across and scooped. The bodice is cut to skim over the bust and then the waist is seamed in a wide and generous cut. Below that the skirt falls to the floor, widening out as it nears the hem and it is finished with another band of the same fur as the cuffs. All the work is done by hand and each sequin meticulously placed. It is a beautiful example of his work during this time period. It feels even more gold in person. Great condition with some notes below

Fully lined in a black silk through the bodice and a black silk organza through the skirt. The sleeves are left unlined. It closes at the back with a hand set, painted metal zipper. Hand finished throughout. There is the occasional sequin loss here and there and some of the crystals on the large palettes are missing. Some palettes have a bit of a grubby feel to them and show a slight patina. The sides of the dress have been tacked on the outside to bring them in at some point so there is a little bulk of fabric on the sides. I opened one a bit and it looks like a seam underneath was opened and then the dress tacked on the exterior. You could open it to get more room if needed but there may be some additional work to do by a seamstress on the very inside seam if you did. I chose to leave it as found. It looks like the sleeves were also opened at some point as the fur does not meet under the arm. That too could be taken back in if you wished. The lining n the sleeves has started to shatter. I took photos the the side, under the cuff and of one of the paillettes. Please see the shots after the label shot. 

Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 42" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD3684

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.