1950s Ceil Chapman Little Black Lace Overlay Dress designer-jean-patou His pieces are rare and

His pieces are rare and many of them can be a little dowdy

This allows for fullness of the skirt but a nice trim silhouette for the wearer

The skirt is cut in a lean pencil skirt with a fabulous panel of fabric that sits over the back and wraps part way around the sides

Bust (inner): 18" flat across from side seam to side seam

These where meant to float over a smaller frame so keep that in mind

1950s Ceil Chapman Little Black Lace Overlay Dress designer-jean-patou His pieces are rare andThis is an early black label Ceil Chapman and is really a wonderful example of her earlier pieces. You mostly see the later, more fitted versions from Ceil for sale out there (that wiggle dress silhouette made famous by Marilyn Monroe) but this is an earlier late 1940s, early 1950s piece and it has lots of wonderful period details. The black silk crepe skirt is cut slim and has a curving cut layer of black lace that sits over it and gives it the