1990s Carol Peretz Cream Silk Alencon Lace Antique Beads Flutter Sleeve Dress
Label:
Carol Peretz for L. Davis
Era:
1990s
Condition:
Very Good
Returnable:
No
Handling time:
3 Days
VTG 90's Carol Peretz Cream Silk Satin Alencon Lace Flutter Sleeve Dress Size 10
Dress is designed by Carol Peretz who makes exquisite evening wear and special occasion dresses. It was sold by L Davis specialty dress shop for whom Peretz makes dresses. Apparently they removed her label and replaced it with their own.
Carol Peretz saw my listing and reached out to me confirming that this was indeed her design. This dress is made of highest quality heavy weight Silk and trimmed in antique Alencon lace from France and rare antique beads. The skirt is lined in a translucent Rayon chiffon - also deliciously weighty - which serves as a sewn in slip and gives the skirt extra sumptuous substance. Carol Peretz uses the highest quality fabrics and trims in her designs. This dress is Luxe all the way and feels wonderful. I can honestly say the dress is a work of art. It reminds me of the dresses worn by women who had their portraits painted by John Singer Sergeant who painted the gowns they wore as beautifully as he portrayed the women themselves.
If you are planning to have your portrait painted this would be a good dress to wear. It would also be a beautiful wedding dress.
This dress was made in the late 90's, but it is a timelessly elegant design. It has an aura of designs from the 20's, 30's, and 40's without referencing them directly. It could have been worn beautifully in any of those decades, as well as when it was actually made, and can be worn again, now. It will never go out of style.
The bodice is blouson with a simple softly rounded and sloping neckline and short double layer flutter sleeves reminiscent of flower petals. There are small shoulder pads that serve to enhance the lines of the pretty sleeves - they could easily be removed - but I think they add to the design and do not date it so I would hesitate to take them out. They are not large.
Waist is gathered in softly by an encased elastic band and there are thread belt loops at each side seam. I have shown the dress with a cord belt taken from one my own dresses for styling purposes. This is not included in the sale. The original belt is missing, but I asked the designer what it was. She said it was simply a Cream Satin Ribbon so you could easily find another 2 yds of ribbon to use at the waistline. Or, you could find another belt made of cord or a jeweled belt.
The bodice extends into the skirt which is constructed with a yoke encircling the waist and upper hips to which the main skirt and underlying slip/lining is attached. This type of structure ensures that the fabric is not bulky around the waistline and hips. Thus the dress has slimming lines when worn. Note the length of the dress in the measurements - it falls to the ankle on a woman 5'6'' tall - not all the way to the floor. This is the length it was designed to be so that lovely ankles and pretty satin or silver shoes could be shown off below.
The basic dress is beautifully and knowledgeably designed - then the exquisite trimming applied. The rare Alencon lace is simply amazing. And this type of lace is valuable and very hard to come by. It is trimmed with tiny pearl beads, tiny glass seed beads with metallic centers, then enhanced by rhinestones and finally pearlized glass shell beads that dangle from the rhinestones. All the beads used are antique. The wide border of lace at the hemline is additionally embroidered with antique pearlized beads that are shaped like grains of rice and just as small.
All these beads are meticulously applied by hand. Thousands of tiny beads, literally, enhance the Alencon lace applied to this dress. Two lace medallions that act like small corsages are applied to the bodice - one on each side of the neckline just under the shoulders. Two larger lace medallions adorn each hip, Then the entire hemline is decorated by a 5 and a 1/2 inch wide band of this precious lace all enhanced with the tiny hand attached beads. It is amazing to think of the time and patience, along with the skill required, to make this rare lace and sew on all the beads to accentuate it. Then, to consider it is all hand done!
The dress is put on over the head. There is an opening at the back of the neckline with a hook and eye closure at the top. Another small beaded medallion of lace is applied to decorate the left side of this back opening.
The edges of the flutter sleeves and the neckline edges of the dress are finished off with another type of antique lace braid that creates a petite scalloped edging. It is perfectly applied.
The construction techniques used in this dress are the best possible. It is beautifully made. Looking at the techniques used in designing and making this dress is a joy in itself. It deserves to be worn by someone who appreciates it and enjoys it for some very special occasion. Incidentally, dresses by Carol Peretz cost $2,000 to $3,000 new at the time this dress was made.
Alencon Lace making originates in the 16th century and is made by a small group of Carmelite Nuns in Alencon France who keep the technique alive. The lace used in this dress is exceptionally fine example and is very old. Well worth collection on its own. To read more about Alencon Lace Google it on Wikipedia.
The incredible lace, and the beading alone make this dress worthy of collecting. The lace is old and very little of it still exists. It is nearly impossible to find lace of this quality level and the beading really sets it apart. It is so fine Marie Antoinette would have worn it on one of her gowns. She loved Alencon Lace by the way! It is pictured on the gowns in many of her portraits!
In the interest of collecting vintage garments, and the age of the dress, these small imperfections are minor and do not detract from the beauty and wearability of the dress, nor from the value of collecting it.
They are what vintage collectors call the patina of a vintage dress and because a garment has been worn and thus had a previous life are expected. They really do not detract from the dress.
I am extremely picky and if I found these flaws visually detracting from the impression the dress makes when worn I would not consider the garment acceptable to wear. In this case I do consider it acceptable to wear - even as a wedding dress.
Aside from this, this particular dress is one of the finest example of designer Carol Peretz' work.
It is worthy of collecting as a gorgeous design and as a design study piece. In my opinion it is of Museum Quality. By the way, many of the dresses in museum collections have similar flaws from having been worn by their original owners. It is simply part of their history.
All in all this is a very special dress and It deserves to be worn by someone who appreciates it and enjoys it for some very special occasion.
Dress is designed by Carol Peretz who makes exquisite evening wear and special occasion dresses. It was sold by L Davis specialty dress shop for whom Peretz makes dresses. Apparently they removed her label and replaced it with their own.
Carol Peretz saw my listing and reached out to me confirming that this was indeed her design. This dress is made of highest quality heavy weight Silk and trimmed in antique Alencon lace from France and rare antique beads. The skirt is lined in a translucent Rayon chiffon - also deliciously weighty - which serves as a sewn in slip and gives the skirt extra sumptuous substance. Carol Peretz uses the highest quality fabrics and trims in her designs. This dress is Luxe all the way and feels wonderful. I can honestly say the dress is a work of art. It reminds me of the dresses worn by women who had their portraits painted by John Singer Sergeant who painted the gowns they wore as beautifully as he portrayed the women themselves.
If you are planning to have your portrait painted this would be a good dress to wear. It would also be a beautiful wedding dress.
This dress was made in the late 90's, but it is a timelessly elegant design. It has an aura of designs from the 20's, 30's, and 40's without referencing them directly. It could have been worn beautifully in any of those decades, as well as when it was actually made, and can be worn again, now. It will never go out of style.
The bodice is blouson with a simple softly rounded and sloping neckline and short double layer flutter sleeves reminiscent of flower petals. There are small shoulder pads that serve to enhance the lines of the pretty sleeves - they could easily be removed - but I think they add to the design and do not date it so I would hesitate to take them out. They are not large.
Waist is gathered in softly by an encased elastic band and there are thread belt loops at each side seam. I have shown the dress with a cord belt taken from one my own dresses for styling purposes. This is not included in the sale. The original belt is missing, but I asked the designer what it was. She said it was simply a Cream Satin Ribbon so you could easily find another 2 yds of ribbon to use at the waistline. Or, you could find another belt made of cord or a jeweled belt.
The bodice extends into the skirt which is constructed with a yoke encircling the waist and upper hips to which the main skirt and underlying slip/lining is attached. This type of structure ensures that the fabric is not bulky around the waistline and hips. Thus the dress has slimming lines when worn. Note the length of the dress in the measurements - it falls to the ankle on a woman 5'6'' tall - not all the way to the floor. This is the length it was designed to be so that lovely ankles and pretty satin or silver shoes could be shown off below.
The basic dress is beautifully and knowledgeably designed - then the exquisite trimming applied. The rare Alencon lace is simply amazing. And this type of lace is valuable and very hard to come by. It is trimmed with tiny pearl beads, tiny glass seed beads with metallic centers, then enhanced by rhinestones and finally pearlized glass shell beads that dangle from the rhinestones. All the beads used are antique. The wide border of lace at the hemline is additionally embroidered with antique pearlized beads that are shaped like grains of rice and just as small.
All these beads are meticulously applied by hand. Thousands of tiny beads, literally, enhance the Alencon lace applied to this dress. Two lace medallions that act like small corsages are applied to the bodice - one on each side of the neckline just under the shoulders. Two larger lace medallions adorn each hip, Then the entire hemline is decorated by a 5 and a 1/2 inch wide band of this precious lace all enhanced with the tiny hand attached beads. It is amazing to think of the time and patience, along with the skill required, to make this rare lace and sew on all the beads to accentuate it. Then, to consider it is all hand done!
The dress is put on over the head. There is an opening at the back of the neckline with a hook and eye closure at the top. Another small beaded medallion of lace is applied to decorate the left side of this back opening.
The edges of the flutter sleeves and the neckline edges of the dress are finished off with another type of antique lace braid that creates a petite scalloped edging. It is perfectly applied.
The construction techniques used in this dress are the best possible. It is beautifully made. Looking at the techniques used in designing and making this dress is a joy in itself. It deserves to be worn by someone who appreciates it and enjoys it for some very special occasion. Incidentally, dresses by Carol Peretz cost $2,000 to $3,000 new at the time this dress was made.
Alencon Lace making originates in the 16th century and is made by a small group of Carmelite Nuns in Alencon France who keep the technique alive. The lace used in this dress is exceptionally fine example and is very old. Well worth collection on its own. To read more about Alencon Lace Google it on Wikipedia.
The incredible lace, and the beading alone make this dress worthy of collecting. The lace is old and very little of it still exists. It is nearly impossible to find lace of this quality level and the beading really sets it apart. It is so fine Marie Antoinette would have worn it on one of her gowns. She loved Alencon Lace by the way! It is pictured on the gowns in many of her portraits!
In the interest of collecting vintage garments, and the age of the dress, these small imperfections are minor and do not detract from the beauty and wearability of the dress, nor from the value of collecting it.
They are what vintage collectors call the patina of a vintage dress and because a garment has been worn and thus had a previous life are expected. They really do not detract from the dress.
I am extremely picky and if I found these flaws visually detracting from the impression the dress makes when worn I would not consider the garment acceptable to wear. In this case I do consider it acceptable to wear - even as a wedding dress.
Aside from this, this particular dress is one of the finest example of designer Carol Peretz' work.
It is worthy of collecting as a gorgeous design and as a design study piece. In my opinion it is of Museum Quality. By the way, many of the dresses in museum collections have similar flaws from having been worn by their original owners. It is simply part of their history.
All in all this is a very special dress and It deserves to be worn by someone who appreciates it and enjoys it for some very special occasion.
Condition Details: Condition Notes: Please be sure you read and understand the following:
The dress appears perfect when worn, however, upon extremely close inspection I found an extremely faint perspiration stain under the left armpit only. It is so faint you have to strain to see it. It may well come out with dry cleaning.Fortunately, the flutter sleeve falls over this area and covers it completely when the dress is worn, but to be accurate and in interest of full disclosure I am mentioning it. It is so faint I could not get it to show in photos.
Also, there are a couple of tiny marks on the silk - so small I cannot photograph them. They too may come out with cleaning. Again they are unnoticeable without extremely careful searching over every inch of the fabric and are hidden in the folds as well as by the sheen of the material. They may be natural inclusions in the silk as silk often has.
The dress appears perfect when worn, however, upon extremely close inspection I found an extremely faint perspiration stain under the left armpit only. It is so faint you have to strain to see it. It may well come out with dry cleaning.Fortunately, the flutter sleeve falls over this area and covers it completely when the dress is worn, but to be accurate and in interest of full disclosure I am mentioning it. It is so faint I could not get it to show in photos.
Also, there are a couple of tiny marks on the silk - so small I cannot photograph them. They too may come out with cleaning. Again they are unnoticeable without extremely careful searching over every inch of the fabric and are hidden in the folds as well as by the sheen of the material. They may be natural inclusions in the silk as silk often has.
Item Details:
Dress
Approximate Size: Large
Textile: Silk with Rayon Lining
Lining: Partially Lined
Closure: Button
Size Marked: 10
Measurements:
Dress :
Measurements taken flat, double for circumference:
Bust - 19''
Waist - 15 '' with elastic unstretched, stretches to 17''
Hips - 19 and 1/2'' taken yoke
Below Yoke - 22'' at gathers
Bottom of Skirt Hemline - 26'' ( taken at lace border)
Length of entire dress from nape of neck to Hemline - 53''
Length of skirt from waist to hemline - 34''
Bodice from neckline to waist - 16'' ( allowing for blouson drape of 2-3'')
Depth of lace at Hemline - 5 and 1/2 ''
Entire Length of Hemline Lace Panel is 52'' if you are interested.
Bust - 19''
Waist - 15 '' with elastic unstretched, stretches to 17''
Hips - 19 and 1/2'' taken yoke
Below Yoke - 22'' at gathers
Bottom of Skirt Hemline - 26'' ( taken at lace border)
Length of entire dress from nape of neck to Hemline - 53''
Length of skirt from waist to hemline - 34''
Bodice from neckline to waist - 16'' ( allowing for blouson drape of 2-3'')
Depth of lace at Hemline - 5 and 1/2 ''
Entire Length of Hemline Lace Panel is 52'' if you are interested.
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