Lilly Fong – Blue Side Tie Day Dress

Lilly Fong – Blue Side Tie Day Dress

This is an azure blue drop waist dress made from a lightweight fabric. It has vertical satin stripes down the main body of the dress. There is a thick matching sash connected to the drop waist which ties at the side against the left hip. The dress has a plain round neckline and mid-length sleeves with single-buttoned cuffs that may have given the sleeves a puffed look. Satin stripes run horizontally along the sash and the sleeve cuffs. The brand is Oops California.  

 Drop waist style dresses first appeared in the 20s in conjunction with the rise of the “flapper” and an increase in women’s liberation. Coco Chanel popularized the “Garonne look,” a term that refers to the “boyish,” playful, and rebellious style. They were a break from the usually tight-fitted, restrictive corseted style of dress of previous eras. The style re-emerged in the 60s with a more closely fitted, sporty style that allowed for active movement. In the 80s, the style became popular again through the influence of Princess Diana. In the 1980s, the style evolved to emphasize shape and volume, commanding attention, and invoking a sense of strength over slenderness. This dress would have been a comfortable and appropriate choice of dress for a person such as Lilly who had a busy and dynamic working life.