1935 
Evening dress and poncho 

Background The 1930s were Mainbocher’s great creative years. Taking inspiration from extraordinary textiles, he here playfully pairs a classical draped gown with a boldly contrasting novelty poncho. The ensemble was made for actress Helen Vinson, a Warner Brothers' contract player. Description Dress: Floor-length; straight front neck, narrow straps, deep V-back; tunic effect over-panel draped from neckline, diagonally across back, extending into long pointed train; covered ball buttons at left hip; long, pointed, mitered train; center section (covered by over-panel) in black china silk. Poncho: Below-hip length, longer in back; high V-neck front and back; center front closure with large self-covered buttons; deeply draped at right back; curved hem; charmeuse lining. Made for donor Gift of Miss Helen Vinson, 1953.

REFERENCE 
53.346A-B 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Black silk satin; red velvet shot with cellophane; red charmeuse
Label: Mainbocher / 12 Avenue George V à Paris; Me. Helen Vinson; 16139.801- (dress)
Dress:
Bust measurement: 34¼”
Waist measurement: 26”
Center back length: 94” (including train)
Poncho:
Center back length: 39”
Right side measurement: 45”
Left side measurement: 33” 
ADDITIONAL IMAGES 
1935-36 
Evening dress 

Background An example of Mainbocher’s ongoing fascination with historicism, a late-19th century focus on garment back detail is apparent in the design of this evening gown. The fullness of its black satin skirt is supplemented by a draped shock of bright cerise satin, drawing attention to the wearer upon exit, as well as entrance. Description Dress: Full-length; fitted bodice; narrow shoulder straps; sweetheart neck, plunging V-back; tucked at center front bust; narrow waistband; five-gore skirt, center back panel in cerise; handkerchief hem; self-covered button closure at center back; unlined. Belt: Self fabric; 1¼” wide; topstitched; square covered buckle; black metal eyelets; black leather lining. Garment structure This dress has a plain, straightforward front with a simple sweetheart neckline and pleats to shape the bodice at the bust. In stark contrast, a cerise-satin handkerchief-shaped panel is precisely inserted at the back to create a flare. The deep V-neckline extends almost to the back waist. Unlined, the dress fastens at center back with a dozen satin-covered ball buttons and self-fabric loops. Below the waist, the opening is set into a slash on the cerise panel. The gored skirt fastens at the waist with hooks and eyes, which are flatter than the buttons and are hidden under the belt. The inside of the dress is finished by hand with overcast seams, narrow hems, and chiffon facings at the edges. Worn by wife of donor. Gift of Dr. A. Hamilton Rice, 1944.

REFERENCE 
44.142.30A-B 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Black silk satin; cerise silk satin
Label: Mainbocher / 12 Avenue George V à Paris; 21.125 (dress)
Bust measurement: 34”
Waist measurement: 28”
Center back length: 45”
Belt measurement: 36” 
1936 
Evening dress 

Background Mainbocher’s love for expensive fabric included an affinity for fur of all kinds. This tunic, evocative of Paul Poiret’s early 20th-century hoop-skirted sorbet silhouette, is formed by a satin overdress layered atop a crepe georgette column and fringed in rich monkey fur, the epitome of luxury trim for the 1930s. Description Underdress: Crepe; slip; full-length; bias-cut; V-neck, lower in back; georgette overskirt with wide center back godet Tunic: Satin; raised waist; below-knee length; bolero-effect sleeveless bodice, surplice center front panels; waist lower in back; full skirt with 8" wide border of monkey fur; center back self-covered button closure. Belt: Satin; pleated front panel, 2" wide; narrower back section; concealed left side closure. Garment structure The surplice-style bodice has a sweetheart neckline with a deep V in back. The front has an underbodice to avoid gaping and to retain the essence of the design. The front and back bodice sections are finished separately with points at the shoulders; the points lapping front-over-back and stitched together by hand. The belt features four cummerbund-style centered pleats. The unlined tunic is fastened with satin-covered ball buttons and braid loops at center back. The overbodice is finished with narrow chiffon bias facing, the underbodice with narrow hems. All seams are hand-overcast. Worn by donor. Gift of Mrs. Frederick Childs, Jr., 1973.

REFERENCE 
73.237A-C 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Black calendered (surface treated) silk satin; black silk satin-back crepe; black silk georgette; black monkey fur
Label: Mainbocher / 12 Avenue George V à Paris; 19843, Frederick Childs (tunic)
Overdress:
Bust measurement: 39”
Waist measurement: 30”
Center back length: 31½”
Belt length: 31½”
Underdress:
Bust measurement: 35”
Center back length: 47” 
ADDITIONAL IMAGES 
1938-39 
Ensemble 

Background A matching dress and jacket were Mainbocher staples in the years preceding World War II. This ensemble, made in Paris prior to the 1939 close of the Mainbocher salon, was imported and sold by a New York shop. The raised hemline reflects a Depression-era French conservatism toward fabric consumption, which would be magnified during the war, with its fabric shortages and short silhouettes to follow. This ensemble was paired with a post-production pair of matching gloves. Description Dress: Below-knee length; fitted bodice; 1½" wide grosgrain shoulder straps; rounded modified sweetheart neckline; mounting rounded neck back; mock placket at center front bodice; circular skirt; left side in-seam hook closure; front neckline, placket, and hem trimmed in cartridge-pleated grosgrain ribbon; unlined. Jacket: Fitted; open center front with narrow sweetheart neckline; long set-in sleeve, buttoned wrist vent; cartridge-pleated grosgrain trim at neck and wrists; whip-stitched seams; navy taffeta lining. Belt: Self fabric, cartridge-pleated grosgrain border; ¾" wide, pointed end; concealed closure. Garment structure Incorporated into the jacket are the following distinctive Mainbocher details: decorative grosgrain trim used at the sleeve vents; a collarless neckline and contrasting lining; and an interfacing located only at the hem as a structural support. In addition to maintaining a soft, rolled edge and preventing clinging at the hips, the interfacing added a little weight so the jacket would hang properly. To reduce bulk at the dress’s edges as well as on its belt, the fabric has been folded to the right side and the trim applied over the raw edges. The dress fastens at the underarm with hooks and eyes. All the raw inner edges are overcast by hand. Although fairly straight at its waist, the grain of the skirt begins to veer toward the proper left side, enhancing its hem fullness. In order to maintain symmetry, several short seamed fabric sections have been inserted into the proper right side toward hem level. To accomplish this transition without disrupting the pattern, the fabric is cut around the daisy print and then turned under, creating an irregular seam line noticeable only on the wrong side. Gift of Mrs. Ralph K. Robertson, 1944.

REFERENCE 
44.279.4A-E 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Printed silk cloqué, red-centered white flowers on navy blue ground; navy grosgrain ribbon
Label: Mainbocher / 12 Avenue George V à Paris; 21268 B (jacket)
Dress
Bust measurement: 37”
Waist measurement: 29”
Center back length: 42”
Belt length: 33½”
Jacket:
Center back length: 24½” 
Spring-Summer 1942 
U.S. Navy WAVES uniform, Yeoman, 3rd class 

Background Mainbocher was asked to design uniforms for the WAVES (Women Appointed for Volunteer Emergency Service) by Mrs. James V. Forrestal, wife of the Undersecretary of the Navy (as Josephine Ogden, she had been an editor of Vogue in the 1920s). The group’s formal name was the Women’s Reserve, United States Naval Reserve. Mainbocher charged the Navy $1 for his services. He based his uniform design on the traditional naval man’s uniform, complete with official Navy buttons, insignia and gob’s tie, but his naval woman’s suit featured a smooth, long-waisted silhouette and natural shoulders. Securing the services of Mainbocher was a great public relations coup for the WAVES’ war recruitment effort: the enormous national press coverage his design work received made Mainbocher a household name even among Americans with no other interest in fashion. Description Jacket: Fitted; four-button single-breasted; hip-length; round-end collar with separate peaked lapels; long set-in sleeve with shoulder pad; chest flaps; brass buttons with insignia; embroidered insignia patches on collar and left sleeve; four ribbon campaign bars on left chest flap; lined in black acetate. Skirt: Flared, six-gore; knee-length; 1¾" topstitched waistband; diagonal stand pockets at front hips; left side zipper closure; unlined. Shirt: Fitted; short sleeves with turn-back cuffs; point collar; front gathered into yoke with square points; grouped triple darts at waist; mother-of-pearl buttons. Necktie: Satin; oblique ends Garment structure The hip-length single-breasted jacket is fitted with a princess seam that begins at the shoulder. It fastens with machine-stitched thread buttonholes and four brass buttons with insignia. The flared knee-length skirt has six gores for easy walking, with a 1¾" topstitched waistband. Diagonal stand pockets flatter the figure at the front hips. The skirt is unlined and fastens on the left side with a slot zipper. Gift of Mrs. Gladys Schapira Moulton, 1946.

REFERENCE 
46.298.3A-D 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Navy blue worsted serge; white cotton plain weave; black acetate satin
Jacket:
Bust measurement: 34½”
Center back length: 23”
Skirt:
Waist measurement: 23”
Center back length: 25¼” 
Spring-Summer 1942 
U.S. Navy WAVES summer uniform, Yeoman, 3rd class 

Background Like their brother officers, the WAVES wore a summer dress uniform of white, identical in every other respect to their regulation navy blue suit. Officers’ uniforms featured gold Navy eagle buttons and cotton blouses of defense blue. White blouses were restricted to officers only and were worn both for dress and everyday wear. The grey and white seersucker service uniform was for everyday summer wear. Description Dress: Knee-length; short sleeve; round-end collar; front bodice shirred to forward shoulder seam and 1¾" waistband; flared skirt, deep inverted box pleat center front; left side in-seam zipper closure. Necktie ends: Rayon; pointed ends; 13" long; button on at each side of neck. Jacket: Fitted; hip length; four-button single-breasted; no collar, rounded peaked lapels; long set-in sleeves with shoulder pad; sweetheart-shaped pocket flaps at chest and hips, pocket at right hip; brass insignia buttons; embroidered insignia patches on lapels, left sleeve, and right chest flap. Garment structure The jacket center front fastens with machine-stitched thread buttonholes and four brass buttons with the eagle insignia. It has four decorative flaps, two placed above the bust and two at the hips, and is fitted with a princess seam that begins at the shoulder. The collarless neckline features peaked lapels. An embroidered insignia patch is placed on the right flap. The jacket has a jetted pocket on the inside lining. The matching knee-length dress has short sleeves and round ends on the collar. The bodice front is shirred to a dropped shoulder seam and at the waist. It has a vertical jetted pocket on the left side above the bust and a 1¾” waistband set in between the bodice and skirt. The skirt has a deep box pleat at center front. The dress fastens on the left side with a zipper closure. Its black ribbed rayon necktie has pointed ends which button onto the bodice beneath the collar. Gift of Mrs. Gladys Schapira Moulton, 1946.

REFERENCE 
46.298.4A-C 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Grey and white striped cotton seersucker; black ribbed rayon
Dress:
Bust measurement: 37”
Waist measurement: 24”
Center back length: 40”
Jacket:
Center back length: 23”
Necktie: 4” 
Fall-Winter 1942 
Evening gown 

Background Shown in September 1942, Mainbocher’s fall-winter collection of wartime fashion was anything but grim. Basic black, brown, and navy dresses were brightened with gold passementerie braid and embroidered swirls of gold, bronze and jet beads, and paillettes – embellishments not impacted by other wartime restrictions. Description Full-length; scoop front neckline with folded and draped hanging panel; short sleeves, bead and sequin embroidery in three bands and foliate scroll on shoulder; natural waist, slightly gathered; four-flared skirt; 1½" wide self belt, covered D-shaped buckle; center back zipper closure; short drop lining in black georgette at lower back bodice; black grosgrain waistband. Garment structure The slim silhouette of this evening gown is complemented by an asymmetrical drape at the front neckline. The bias-cut drape is unlined and finished at the edges with a narrow hem. Worn by Miss Isabel Schults. Gift of Mrs. J. Barry Donahue, 1987.

REFERENCE 
87.58 
TECHNICAL DETAILS 
Heavy black silk crepe; gold and bronze glass beads and sequins
Bust measurement: 38”
Waist measurement: 30”
Center back length: 56” 
ADDITIONAL IMAGES