“Be beautiful in a potato sack” dress
Clothes for Women
Inventory number
2020.9.9.15.CW.DR.C1965.USDescription
Promotional campaign dress with the slogan "Be beautiful in a potato sack, Looks like a sack, Feels like a sack, Is a sack. Fill with 100lbs. or more of charm, ans save money on new French inspired creations". On this dress we can also see the predefined lines to cut or sew with style indications as "Empire line" and "Trapèze line". The last one refers to the "Trapèze" line Yves SAINT LAURENT's first collection for the House of Dior presented in January 1958.This dress is a part of the protest movements of the 60's, later known as "Anti-fashion". Groups of young people in urban centres, especially in US, start to wear anti-fashion garments. This trend was explicitly contrary to the image of the women of the 50s, with the shapes drawn by the corset, the diktats of men and especially the creations of the Parisian Haute Couture. Anti-fashion styles could represent an attitude of indifference or could arise from political or practical goals which make fashion a secondary priority. This dress makes fun especially about the very expensive Parisian fashions, and in particular collections of the House of Dior, who during the 50's had dictated women's fashion to the nearest centimeter, changing shape every 6 months and forcing women to renew their wardrobes.
Material
CottonOrigin
circa 1965 United StatesRelated objects
“Be beautiful in a potato sack” dressSummer dress
Exhibitions History
• 2017.10.06–2018.05.20. ‘Modernism and Fashion. From Alexandre Vassiliev foundation collection.’ Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan. Catalogue.• 2021.09.17–2021.11.14. ‘To Play To The Gallery. Fashion And Portrait.’ Together with Museum of Art and History, Geneva, Switzerland. Museum of Art and History, Palatine’s room, Geneva, Switzerland.
• 2023.07.15–2023.11.05. ‘The Paradox of Fashion: Fashion versus Art.’ Alexandre Vassiliev foundation together with Kampa Museum Funds. Kampa Museum, Prague, Czech Republic.