A Gabrielle Chanel silk crepe romain `little black dress', circa 1926-27, labelled Gabrielle Chanel, Paris, numbered 2924, the bodice with square neckline, apron-like floating bodice-panel which ties at the back, over finely pleated skirt, both with picot edging, fastened by pres-studs over the shoulders, bust 92cm, 36in cf `Chanel' The Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue p.66-68, 70-71 for similar simple little nothing day dresses with pleated skirt detailing. One also has an integral over-blouse.

Small darned repair to top right corner of bodice panel, the gathers to the left side of the panel need re-stitching. The sleeves may originally have been longer as the turn-up edges show the inner seams when folded over. The gown has been shortened by folding over a flap of fabric at the waist - rather than trying to cut the hem. The fabric is intact and could be let down again. The stitch-line would not show at the front because of the floating bodice panel. The label has been moved from a side seam and loosely tacked to the inside of one of the shoulder openings - as it was used by a college lecturer to demonstrate fashion to her students, in this case using the gown to show the relatively unusual prestud fastenings to the neck which were commonplace in the twenties. Presumably it was easier to find the label this way rather than digging around in the side seams.