Background This extravagant gown stands as an interesting departure from its designer’s standard creative process. Although the bodice is pure Mainbocher in its simplicity and floral chiné, the skirt is a line-for-line, color-for-color nod to one published in the January 1, 1942, issue of "Vogue" and credited to Germaine Monteil. The circumstances behind the gown’s creation are unclear—it was perhaps made as a sentimental reinterpretation of an original garment owned by a favored client. Interestingly, a faded moss green panel, located in the skirt’s center back appears to be made from a chiffon of much earlier production. Description Floor-length; fitted taffeta bodice; wide scoop neck; elbow-length kimono sleeve; set-in side bodice panels; attached narrow self belt with tailored bow hooking at left front; parti-colored 17-gore circular-cut chiffon skirt; slightly trained at back; center back zipper closure; bodice lined in white china silk; two underskirts, one yellow chiffon, one peach satin-back crepe; grosgrain waistband. Garment structure The fitted bodice has a wide scoop neck with set-in side panels and elbow-length kimono sleeves. The self-fabric belt is sewn to the dress and fastens at the side front with a tailored half-bow. The bow is made from a single fabric piece wrapped around a length of grosgrain and finished by hand. The bodice has a plain weave silk backing. The center back zipper is hand-sewn through the bodice and first underskirt; the top skirt fastens with snaps over the zipper. The opulent skirt of this evening gown incorporates almost 25 yards of silk chiffon. Fabricated with 17 quarter-circle panels in pink, orange, yellow, green, and red, it measures 112 feet at the hemline and has a slight train finished with a machine-stitched picot edge. It has two underskirts: one in yellow chiffon with a circular cut and a slightly flared one in peach-colored, satin-back crepe. The skirts are supported by a grosgrain waist stay. Gift of Mrs. Wilda Symonds, 1985.

Background Mainbocher has here decided to soften the columnar effect created by clustering overlapping box pleats by allowing them to fall unpressed. He persists in his fondness for applied self-jewelry as a dressing shortcut, embellishing the front of this damask gown with a complementarily colored rhinestone brooch. Description Full-length; sleeveless; wide round neckline; natural waist; velvet mock sash, horizontally pleated, bow knot at center front; full skirt with deep spaced and overlapped box pleats; large rhinestone cluster at chest; left side and center back bodice zipper closures; lined in rose china silk; white grosgrain waistband. Garment structure The dress incorporates both a full-length left side zipper as well as a waist-length, center back zipper. The latter allows for additional ease in slipping the garment on and off over the bust. An inner grosgrain waist stay closes at a slightly tighter dimension than the dress itself, eliminating stress on the zipper. Backed with china silk, the dress is finished with silk bindings on the edges of the facings and overcasting on the seams. Gift of Mr. Robert Winthrop, 1986.

Background Fashion reporters marveled at the large selection of luxury fabrics Mainbocher used to craft his Fall 1963 collection. In his use of this outsized floral patterned velvet, the designer evokes a device popularized by Maison Worth almost a century earlier. This simple creation, made for Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III, makes a monumental statement through the pairing of its wearer’s stature and its grand-scale motif. Description Full-length; high round neck, deep narrow square in back; sleeveless; natural waist, slightly gathered; attached ¾"-wide self belt; flared skirt, wide box pleat at back waist, pieced at lower side seams; attached ¾"-wide self belt; left side zipper; bodice lined in pink taffeta; skirt faced with sized silk gauze. Garment structure The flared skirt has been slightly altered at the waist from its original configuration of wide-set box pleat at both center front and back, partially substituting random shirring for the original left-hand pleat. The waist seam is concealed by an attached self-fabric belt which hooks closed over the left side zipper. The dress has unusually wide seam allowances that serve to support the breadth of the skirt. Gift of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, 1983.

Background Mainbocher rejected the psychedelic look of mid-1960s fashions. Remaining consistent with his own design philosophy, he maintained his enduring fad-free style, showcasing as many of each season’s splendid textiles in classic silhouettes, such as this long evening dress made of gold metallic matelassé. Description Full-length; sleeveless; wide round neck; natural waist; applied kite-shaped stomacher panel overlapping waist seam; ¾" attached self-belt with concealed side closure; straight skirt, slightly gathered at waist; center front hem vent to knee level; center back zipper closure; lined in cream silk crepe. Garment structure As beautifully finished on the inside as it is on the outside, the dress is lined with cream-colored silk crepe to the neck and armhole edges. The seams are finished with silk bindings or turned-under edges, preventative treatments against any potential irritation that might be caused by the metallic threads of the textile. Gift of Mr. Robert Winthrop, 1986.

Background From a fall collection dominated by modern, casual outerwear for evening, this cashmere twill ensemble is ornamented only by large mother-of-pearl buttons and teamed with a sleeveless blouse of color-matched lace. It was made for Barbara (Babe) Paley, a perennial member of the Best-Dressed List and Hall of Fame. A photograph of her wearing this ensemble appeared the next day in newspapers around the country. Description Skirt Beige twill; full-length, lightly flared, lightly gathered into waistband; center back zipper closure; lined in camel china silk. Jacket Cream twill; semi-fitted; hip-length; square collar; bracelet-length sleeves; horizontal seam across bust; flap pockets at front hips; stylized, decorative epaulets; four oversized mother-of-pearl buttons. Blouse Cream lace over crepe; fitted shell; sleeveless; high round neck; godets at hem; center back zipper closure. Garment structure The jacket epitomizes the art of haute couture construction. The square collar is hand padded and fell-stitched to the jacket body; the non-working pocket flaps and decorative epaulets are invisibly hand applied. The seam across the bust serves two purposes—design interest as well as an inconspicuous fitting element. The set-in sleeves are bracelet length, the bound buttonholes shaped at the end so that the mother-of-pearl button will set in the buttonhole without shifting. The plain weave silk lining is hand sewn at all edges and the armholes. The skirt is cut from one fabric length, joined with a center back seam. The waistband is faced with silk crepe to reduce bulk. All edges are hand sewn and the center front is marked with cross-stitches. The center back zipper laps right over left in the French manner and the opening is stabilized with seam binding. It is hand sewn with running stitches and again at the edges with fell stitches to prevent the tape from curling. The three hooks and eyes of the overlapping closure are sewn with blanket stitches. The seams are overcast by hand. The blouse is inset with four godets extending from waist to hem to accommodate hip dimension. The center back zipper extends below the shell hemline to allow the wearer to step into the garment. The inner seams are clipped and the corners trimmed to enable them to lie flat. All edges are hand-overcast finished. Worn by the donor at the opening New York gala for the film premiere of the musical "My Fair Lady," October 21, 1964. Gift of Mrs. William S. Paley.

Background Belted looks for all hours entered the Mainbocher repertoire in the mid-1960s, distinguishing them from loose, trendy chemise and tent silhouettes. This rhinestone-buckled evening dress of fine Scottish wool crepe was photographed for the September 22, 1964, "New York Journal-American." Description Full-length; surplice-effect shallow V-neck; sleeveless; slightly raised waistline; straight skirt, lightly gathered at front; deep center front hem vent; 1" self-belt, rounded rectangular buckle in silvertone metal set with rhinestones; left side zipper closure; lined in black china silk; short drop lining of black silk crepe in front skirt. Garment structure The bias-cut draped bodice is supported by a silk underlay to maintain its shape and prevent gaping. The spreading, rounded neckline is balanced in the back by a slightly deeper V. Joined to the bodice at the natural waist, the four-panel skirt has a 15” center front walking slit from just below the knee to the hem. A deep hem contributes added weight, allowing the skirt to drape gracefully. Gift of Mr. Robert Winthrop, 1986.

Background A Mainbocher client was confident of wearing a timeless design and never need be concerned about looking outmoded. This Spring 1965 ivory silk evening gown was designed to look as impeccable at the time of its later wearing as it was at the moment of its inception. Description Full-length; wide scoop neck; sleeveless; bolero-effect draping on bodice, fan-pleated into center back waist under tailored bow; A-line skirt; 7/8" applied band with pavé rhinestone snaffle bit at center front; center back zipper closure; lined in cream china silk; white grosgrain waist stay. Garment structure The underside of the front bodice drape is simply finished by turning the edge under and catch-stitching it in place. The silk facing at the armhole edge has been hand-sewn with the addition of a tiny line of catch-stitches to stabilize the lining and keep it from blousing outward. The bodice back overlay is fan-pleated into knife-edged rays, which converge at center back waist. The outermost pleat is hand-tacked into place. All are held by an applied bow. The 2” grosgrain interior waist-cinching stay is hand tacked to the bodice lining and is released 1¾” from the hand-sewn zipper closure. This allows the stay to hook at a slightly tighter dimension, allowing the secured dress float freely over it. Worn by donor in the 1970s to the U.S. Open Ball, New York City. Gift of Ms. Lillian Tucker, 2004. Purchased from Mainbocher after his final collection in 1971; previously part of original house archives