Oscar de La Renta was brought onto the Swirl label in 1977 to do a line of robes, nightgowns and pretty little hostess type dresses like this one. The label had hired Bill Tice in 1975 as the designer but then in 1977 made a deal with first Geoffrey Beene and then de la Renta to do a line for them as well. Tice sued the company shortly after bringing in Oscar, citing that Swirl was favouring Oscar over him. He  left the company saying his contract has been violated and Oscar withdrew shortly after that as well. Which makes this dress a very interesting little piece of fashion history from a very specific and short period of time. Besides its fascinating history it is also a gorgeous little dress in its own right. This is the second one I have had in the shop recently and I was very happy to find it again.

The dress is made out of an easy to wear, and easy to travel with, printed cotton mix and it is so pretty. This fabric choice makes the dress so comfortable once on and easy to work with. You can literally pull it out of a suitcase and pop it on and go. This type of fabric also hold colours extremely well and they feel as crisp and true as they would have been when it was produced. I love the brightness of the print that covers the entire dress. It is a pretty pop of bright tropical flowers set on that pretty blue backdrop. I don't think you could wear this dress and not feel happy. The dress is cut into a chic and simple one shoulder at the front. The bodice extends into the strap that curves over one shoulder and I love how it is kept a bit wider so that you see the pattern. All of the edges have a red ribbon detailing and this also wraps around the waist. The back has that same angled cut to it. The waist is seamed but it has a more generous feeling cut so it is easy to wear. If you wanted it to feel more cinched in you could add a belt. The skirt falls to the floor from there and widens out as it nears the floor. I love how the hem is finished with a wide 10 inch ruffle in the same fabric. This gives a bit of a kick and movement when you move and is just the prettiest way to finish the dress. The skirt has a pretty amount of fullness in it to give it a bright and happy feel. It is a gorgeous dress. Excellent condition with a small note below.

Unlined and closes with two buttons at the side. There are some watermarks around the very edge of the ham that go partway around the front. Please see the photo after the label shot. Because of the ruffle you don't really see this once it is on.

Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 12" from top of shoulder to the top of the ribbon at the waist
Total length: 56.5" from top of the shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4794

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