The Butterfly Dress... If you love something, set it free..

Back by popular demand: More Charles James.

OK. You asked for it. Here's another stunning, iconic Silhouette by Charles James: The Butterfly Ball Gown. This dress is 18lbs with twenty five yards of tulle!!! (I especially appreciate how he used variations of colors in the layers of Tulle to give it a greater depth and richness of color.) He would even make an individualized Dress Form for the woman he was creating it for.

No wonder he considered himself more of an artist and sculptor rather than as a dressmaker. As a redhead, I love his use of muted, earth tone neutrals in opulent evening gowns. It's brilliantly understated. Here's more images of the Butterfly Ball Gown along with the animation of the construction from the Met Retrospective of his work. Enjoy.

See you next Fashion Friday.

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An individualized dress form made specifically for the Butterfly Dress... and for the woman he was creating it for.

And pardon me for pointing this out, you don't get anymore sensual than this back view. Oh my!!! What was he thinking!!???

Showing the layers of Tulle and how he used more than one color to create the desired effect.

Charles James "Butterfly" Gown, 1954 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's