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bill tice
Fantastic Fall 1980 Bill Tice Metallic Gold Halter Front Backless Dress w Top Stiched Tie Belt & Front Slit
I Have a Question
- The silhouette of this dress is very well documented and our research turned up two different ads for a black and gold version that appeared in Vogue. It also made an appearance in one of Vogue's party round up editorials. The ads were from the September issues of both 1980 and 1981.
- It was made under the creative direction of Bill Tice
- Countless celebrities own and have worn the different colours of this dress. Lady Gaga wore a version, as have girls like Rachel Zoe & Nicole Richie and every girl that has bought one through me has loved it. It is one of those fail safe pieces that you know is going to work every time you put it on.
- The dress is insanely sexy and bare feeling with a halter style front that plunges to just above the waist. It ties behind the neck and then the back is left completely open and bare.
- The dress is made of a wash and wear metallic gold that has a slight texture to the fabric. It is very light in weight.
- The cut is very clever so that despite its bare appearance it stays in place perfectly once on the body. At the front of the skirt there is a high slit that shows lots of leg when you walk or sit.
- I love his signature wide top-stitched gold fabric belt at the waist. The belt is attached all the way around the back and then ties at the front to cinch you in exactly to where you want.The belt is really what gives it that signature Bill Tice look.
- The dress has the added bonus of travelling very well. It is the kind of piece that you can throw into your suitcase and slip on with either flats or heels when you reach your destination and be instantly ready to go. It packs down to almost nothing and barely wrinkles.
- Unlined and slips on. Ties at the back of the neck and with the attached belt at the waist. Elastic through the front portion of the waist. The easy fit allows it work on a variety of sizes. The gold is a true bright gold in person.
- Tagged a vintage Tice 6
- Excellent condition.
Bust: variable as there are no side seams
Partial elastic waist: 12-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: approx 15-17" from neck to waist and can be tied to adjust the length if needed
Total length: approx 53" from neck to hem
Front slit: 19" from the hem up
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5273
Reference Photos: (1) Bill Tice for Swirl Ad. Vogue US, September 1980. / (2) Bill Tice Ad. Vogue US, September 1981. / (3) Nancy Kissinger in Bill Tice, Vogue, October 1980.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

oscar de la renta
Dreamy Spring 2019 Oscar de la Renta by Laura Kim & Fernando Garcia Runway Look 57 Gold Silver Bead Caftan Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of the dress walked the runway for Look 57 of the Spring 2019 Oscar de la Renta collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia.
- This was a piece that had absolutely beautiful movement on the runway and while it is stunning it is also easy to wear. It is a definite show stopper and I love it.
- The dress is amazing. It is made out of a light weight metallic silk mix lame that is exceptionally light in weight. The colour is hard to define in person because it has both gold and silver ultra fine threads woven horizontally to make up the fabric. This lets it look more gold in some lights and more silver in others.
- I love that since it is in such a light and beautiful metallic colour that this is a piece that might play double duty and also work for a bride or for an extended wedding weekend.
- The dress is cut in a long minimalist sheath that widens out softly as it nears the hem. It is meant to skim over you from bust to hips before it starts to do that soft flare out on the lower skirt.
- The neckline is scooped and the entire upper bodice and upper shoulders are made out of a nude mesh so that from a distance it appears that the dress is just suspended magically around you.
- The mesh above the edge of the neckline and sleeves have a scattering of tiny gold sequins that also scatter down and around the top of the metallic fabric. Set all the way around the entire neckline and around the top of the sleeves are long strand of metallic silver tube beads mixed with fine little gold linked chains. Is create a long and fabulous fringe effect. It is a stunning detail that adds beautiful impact to the dress and also creates fantastic movement as you move. You can see that in the runway video.
- The sleeves are the absolute star of the show beyond the elaborate embellishment added to the top of the dress. A caped sleeve starts with the nude mesh at the top and then changes to the same metallic fabric as the dress. These fall over the top of your arm and then widen out to cascade all the way to the hem. They are open underneath so that they can catch the slightest bit of air and billow out around and behind you when you move. It is the perfect touch of drama added to an already outstanding dress.
- The dress is fully lined in a nude silk chiffon and slips on to wear with a button closure above a back keyhole. The loose and easy cut should fit a range of sizes. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a modern ODLR large
- Excellent condition
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 20.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-hips: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 58" from neck to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD5274
Reference Photos/Video: Spring 2019 Oscar de la Renta, Look 57.
All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

chanel
Outstanding Cruise 2011 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Runway Look 36 Gold Ribbon & Metallic Gold Cord Knit Dress
I Have a Question
- The twin of this dress walked runway for the Cruise 2011 Chanel collection for Look 36.
- It was made under the creative direction of Karl Lagerfeld
- I have had a version of this dress in the shop that had a more tank bodice to it but this is the first time I have had the actual twin of the runway look and I think I love it even more with its one shoulder silhouette.
- The Chanel Cruise collections have an interesting history. Gabrielle Chanel actually sailed and her love of the sport led to her inception of a 'cruise' collection in the 1920s. She was not the first to come up with this concept but hers were among the first to show a complete collection in a fully fledged show. They eventually fell off in popularity within the brand and it was not until Karl Lagerfeld took over Chanel that the Cruise collections started again.
- This was a very successful collection and was lauded by critics. Vogue said that 'It was like something out of a quintessential Riviera movie.... And like the carefree starlets and jet-setters they were channeling, the models traipsed down the street-cum-runway often barefoot, wearing seventies-ish diaphanous caftans, long crocheted dresses, ruffle-lapelled silk jersey trouser suits, and patchwork denim skirts.' They noted that 'Key, of course, is that lightness of touch, the sense of enjoyment and ease. And with fashion once again experiencing a 1970's revival, the show also ended up feeling—as Lagerfeld's Chanel outings often do—very much of the moment.' And the location choice? Karl said the location was a personal choice "I spent many years of my life here," he said. "I know Saint-Tropez like I know Paris. The collection is very casual, very down-to-earth."
- Of course only Karl and Chanel would think a gold knit ribbon dress is casual, to the rest of us this is an incredibly glamorous dress.
- The dress is beautiful. For all the talk of the seventies influence on this collection this one definitely has a nod to the twenties, a decade that Karl often touched upon.
- The base of the dress is made out of a knit that combines a natural deep linen silk cord that has a gold metallic thread woven through it. Gold grosgrain ribbon is braided through the knit and then additional strands of ribbon and silk cords are set vertically over the different parts of the dress to create the final effect that you see.
- The knit that edges the neckline has a chunkier feel to it than the knit that runs through the body. The ribbon on those two parts of the dress is also set into the knit differently.
- For the area around the waist and the seam above the final part of the skirt, Karl treated the knit and ribbon differently again. It is quite interesting to see how he used the change of direction of the knit and different finishes of both the knit and the ribbon to separate and highlight the different parts of the design on the dress.
- Through the body the weave of the knit is all set vertically with gold ribbon braided vertically. Long vertical expanses of ribbon are set over the underlying knit layer along with strands of metallic finished cords that are very fine and delicate. These attached into the seam above and below and because of how they are attached and set they sit off of the dress underneath and create its unusual texture and 3D feel. This is an absolute testament to the genius of Karl and his constant pushing forward of the technical aspect of fabrics.
- At the very bottom portion of the skirt, the final 10" of the ribbon and cord are allowed to fall like a long fringe. When you move these create incredible movement as they swish and swoop around you. You also see your leg through the fringes as you walk. It is incredible.
- Once on the body it simply falls over you and is super easy to wear and just a really interesting and unique dress.
- The gold gives it that added glam factor and you could easily wear this for day with sandals and then go all out for an evening look. It would even make a great bridal piece for the bride not looking for something traditional or as a dress for an event surrounding the ceremony.
- The dress is fully lined through the middle portion in a stretch lingerie feel silk jersey that makes it very comfortable to wear. The bodice is unlined. It has no closures and slips on to wear. It does have some stretch and I have given the comfortable range of measurements below. It appears to have never been worn very little if at all.
Tagged a vintage Chanel 38 - Excellent condition
Bust: 15-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 14-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 14" from the top of the shoulder to the bottom of the 2" band at the waist
Total length: 49" from top of shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED
Item# DD5275
Reference Photo/Video: Chanel 2011 Chanel Runway Collection, Look 36. Model: Sara Blomqvist.
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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1970s
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1980s
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1990s
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From its humble beginnings in 2006 with just a dozen or so vintage pieces, Shrimpton Couture has grown to be one of the most respected online shopping destinations for vintage shoppers world-wide.
It is our mission to find the timeliness and special pieces that are cherished and coveted by designers, museums, celebrities and countless fabulous women around the world.