Comments and Tags
Be the first to comment on this item!
Clothing and Accessories
Women's Clothing ➔ Dress
Identifier:
2010.55.12Description:
This purple party dress is made of silk and features a square neckline, bows at the shoulders, and a long lapped panel down the back. The sleeves are long and narrow and the skirt is gathered onto the low waistline of the bodice. This dress has over twenty covered buttons down the back with a bow at the bottom. There is also an attached tulle underskirt. Features that are indicative of the 1950s are the New Look silhouette, the cinched waist, and the short hem. This dress was purchased at Joseph P. Doody Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was worn by Janie Cole to parties at the University of Michigan during the late 1950s. It was pictured with petticoat number 130761.This dress is part of a collection of 18 party and evening dresses purchased at department stores and dress shops in downtown Grand Rapids between 1952 and 1955. They were worn by sisters Doris and Janie Cole to parties, dances, and various social events.
This style of dress was known as the New Look which was created by Christian Dior in 1947. The New Look featured cinched waists, full skirts, and emphasized the bust and hips. Dior often lined his skirts with taffeta or percale to help it retain its full shape. This style of dress remained popular throughout the 1950’s and was a turning point in women’s fashion. During World War II fabrics were rationed and women’s style allowed for very few embellishments. Restrictions were put on the number of seams allowed in a garment, the number of buttons that could be used, and how many pleats were allowed. Women had to provide coupons when buying fabric and ready-to-wear clothing had to meet government standards. When the New Look was introduced after the war, women were lining up to purchase the style which promoted femininity and curves.
Date:
circa 1955Materials:
SilkDimensions:
41" h 42" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Janice E. Cole, Doris A. Cole Louis and Helen ColeRelated Entities:
Doris Cole (donor)Doris Cole was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1938 to Louis and Helen Cole. She had a sister, Janice Cole, who was born in 1936.
Doris was raised in Grand Rapids and graduated from East Grand Rapids High School in 1955. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Radcliffe College in 1959 and went on to earn her Master’s in Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1963. Doris began her career in Paris and Boston but in 1981 she became a founding member of Cole and Goyette in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She stayed with the business until 2012 when she opened her own practice, Doris Cole FAIA. She is also an established author, writing five books about architecture including the first book in the United States about women in architecture. Janice Cole (used by)
Janice Cole was born in 1936 to Louis and Helen Cole. She had one sister, Doris Cole.
Janice graduated from Ottawa Hills High School in 1954 and later received her Bachelor of Arts and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. She became a professor of English at Hood College in Fredrick, Maryland. Janice passed away in 1996. Joseph P. Doody Incorporated (sold by)
Alternate names: Joseph P. Doody Inc.
Joseph P. Doody Incorporated was founded around 1955 by Joseph P. Doody. It was located at 146 Fulton Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1969, the name changed to Doody's Inc. and in 1971 it was moved to Breton Village. The business morphed into Leigh's around 1980.
