vintage 1940's dress ...exquisite Dorothy O'Hara navy crepe shelf-bust dress

“Makes women look nice and men look twice.” --indeed!

an iconic and perfect example of an understated palette that make the details sexy AF!

true vintage 1940's DOROTHY O'HARA california navy crepe dress with the most fabulous Jane Mansfield style shelf-bust-spillage designed with a bit of support for a more "natural" silhouette... and the hip draping!

Designer to the stars, Dorothy O’Hara designed for both Hollywood studios (Paramount) and the Fashion Forecast company she shared with her husband.  Much to their advantage, they marketed her as “the only designer-manufacturer in the film world, with a contract permitting her to create styles for her own firm… as well as for the nation’s leading stars.” 

Much like Ceil Chapman during the same era, Dorothy O’Hara dresses were known to flatter a woman’s figure with expert draping; in fact, she was known as the “Sculptress in Fabric.”  She was part of the “California Fashion Creators” which included James Galanos, Edith Small, Tabak, Charles Cooper and more. 

It wasn’t long before her designs became synonymous with “sexy.” A 1957 ad seemed to sum it up with “Makes women look nice and men look twice.”

For more information on this iconic designer of the 1940’s and 1950’s, you can click on the following links to excellent resources:

No Accounting for Taste

Pintuck Style

Vintage Fashion Guild

DETAILS

• dramatic forties silhouette with strong padded shoulders, nipped waist, and slim skirt
• decadent draping at the hip
• pleated shelf-bust with inner subtly constructed soft bust
• v-neck with shallow v at back
• back metal zipper

MEASUREMENTS:

Measurements given are ''actual'' measurements of the item taken from the outside of the garment. Please consider your individual comfort and compare measurements accordingly. For more information regarding our sizing, or measurement process please review our

SIZE & MEASUREMENT GUIDES

bust-34" (to 35" +cup space), waist-27" (to 28"), hips-34" flat but draping can stretch to about 38", length-48"

CONDITION:

very good/excellent. appears to have not been worn very much. deep navy crepe (photos lightened a bit in an attempt to show detail. thin hanger fade at shoulders (dark navy color makes this an easy fix with a fabric marker if it bothers you), tag is hanging on by a thread. price adjusted accordingly.

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