{"product_id":"fabulous-1950s-pierre-balmainsilk-dress-by-mark-robbins-s-copy","title":"Iconic Late 1950's Pierre Balmain Navy Silk Cocktail Dress \/ S","description":"\u003cp\u003e👋 A B O U T\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn iconic piece of mid-century fashion history: an exceptionally elegant navy silk faille cocktail dress carrying a dual label — Pierre Balmain of Paris, retailed through the exclusive Thérèse French Shop at 470 Park Avenue, New York. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe dress is beautifully cut with dramatic dolman sleeves that taper to a fitted wrist, giving real drama through the shoulder and arm. The bodice closes with a zipper up the front, concealed beneath a vertical row of black soutache braid trim that continues the scalloped detail edging the round neckline. A self-fabric sash with attached ties cinches the natural waist, finished with the same black braid trim, and gives way to a full, gently pleated skirt with wonderful movement. Bonus factor? The skirt has pockets! In overall excellent condition, freshly cleaned and ready to wear. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e✂️ M E A S U R E M E N T S\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBust: up to 36\" \/ shoulder to waist: 15\"\u003cbr\u003ewaist: up to 28\"\u003cbr\u003eHips: up to open \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTotal length: 39\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFits a small to medium, waist can be cinched smaller with waist ties \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLabel: Pierre Balmain** of Paris, sold at Therese The French Shop \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaterial: silk \u003cbr\u003eCondition: overall excellent with minor signs of wear typical of age. The cording along the trim formally had little dangling beads that were lost at some point in its life. Wears and presents beautifully. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of our pieces are thoroughly inspected and repaired by our in house professional seamstress prior to shipping to ensure your garment is in ready to wear condition upon arrival. We ship our items out on Thursdays. Please allow extra time for wedding dresses and large orders. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Please compare measurements to a garment you currently own to ensure proper fit! Please note: most of our pieces are clipped to fit our dress forms (bust: 34\" waist: 23\")\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e**Pierre Balmain was a major figure in mid century Parisian fashion who trained briefly with an architecture background before shifting to fashion, working for Edward Molyneux in the 1930s and then, crucially, alongside Christian Dior at Lucien Lelong's house during the early 1940s. The two young designers worked side by side there for years, sketching for the same atelier — which is part of why their later rivalry stung as much as it did. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBalmain opened his own house in 1945, a year ahead of Dior. He built a reputation for elegant, disciplined daywear and opulent eveningwear — what he called \"the architecture of movement\" — dressing figures like Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn, and cultivating a strong following among royalty and Hollywood.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen in 1947, Dior launched the \"New Look\" — cinched waists, full skirts, exaggerated femininity — and it became an overnight sensation that redefined postwar fashion almost instantly. Balmain was reportedly stung by this; the two had been developing similar silhouette ideas from their shared Lelong years, and Dior's version simply broke through first and bigger. Some accounts suggest Balmain felt Dior had, in effect, run off with ideas the two had once discussed as colleagues.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe rivalry was never a public feud with dramatic confrontations — it was quieter and more personal, playing out through competing collections season after season, and reportedly a real coolness between the two men for years. Balmain's house remained successful and influential (Balmain is often credited alongside Dior as a defining force of 1950s couture), but Dior's global fame and the New Look's cultural dominance meant Balmain worked somewhat in Dior's shadow for much of his career, even as his own client list and reputation for restrained luxury stayed formidable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e💖 F O L L O W\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003efacebook | xtabay vintage clothing boutique \u003cbr\u003einstagram | xtabayvintage\u003cbr\u003epinterest | xtabay \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Xtabay Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47905712734369,"sku":null,"price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0472\/0885\/7761\/files\/09-21-2026-3.jpg?v=1790100577","url":"https:\/\/shopxtabay.com\/products\/fabulous-1950s-pierre-balmainsilk-dress-by-mark-robbins-s-copy","provider":"Xtabay Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}