Evening dress
Elizabeth Hawes · ca. 1935
Elizabeth Hawes
- Comfortable draping
- Experimental textiles
Elizabeth Hawes built a design language around movement, comfort and carefully considered fabric combinations. The Met associates her work with draping techniques inspired by Madeleine Vionnet and a commitment to lasting personal style.
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Evening dress
ca. 1935
Hawes used loosely woven wool gauze for this circa-1935 evening dress, choosing an unusual material for formal wear. The Met highlights a full silhouette adjusted by a belt and an asymmetric cowl neck. Its design gives the wearer a role in controlling the shape at the waist.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of the estate of Elinor S. Gimbel, 1984
Collection selection
Women in Love
1938
In Women in Love, Hawes placed an ombré ribbon beneath a translucent organza layer so that the color seems to be painted onto the skirt. The Met also highlights the carefully pieced bodice and circular, floor-length skirt. The 1938 dress joins construction, comfort and an understated visual illusion.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Lionel A. Walford, 1964
Collection selection
"The Tarts"
1937 · The Met collection
Silk.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Evening dress
ca. 1940 · The Met collection
Cotton.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Jacket
1968 · The Met collection
Wool, cotton.
The Metropolitan Museum of ArtArchive pieces, grouped by date
2 piecesca. 1935
1 piece · Season not recorded
1938
1 piece · Season not recorded
Women in Love
Elizabeth Hawes · 1938
About Elizabeth Hawes
Her dresses range from adjustable wool-gauze eveningwear to Women in Love, where a veiled ribbon creates a subtle optical effect beneath organza.