Cristobal Balenciaga (French, founded 1949), Dress, 1959. Chartreuse and black chiné printed silk ottoman. Gift of Kay Kerr Uebel.75.170.1. The Museum at FIT 2012 © The Museum at FIT.

The silhouette of this cocktail dress is a Balenciaga favorite. By eradicating the typical use of horizontal bust darts in favor of vertical princess seams on the bodice and shaping a full skirt with no supporting understructure, Balenciaga was able to achieve an idealized hourglass shape while simultaneously giving his clients both a leaner silhouette and greater comfort. Ironically, the shape also made it easier for licensees, particularly American ready-to-wear manufacturers, to produce high quality copies. This style was also appropriated by designers such as Hubert de Givenchy and Norman Norell. The simplicity of the silhouette is enlivened by Balenciaga's use of an intense, acid-colored fabric.