Actual Measurements

Bust 33 inches.
Waist 27 inches
Hips are 32 inches. This is the horizontal seam that is 11.5 inches down from the underarm.
Total length 29 inches. This is from the top of the underarm to the hem

Strapless dresses are always a challenge for fit. You want them to be tight enough to stay up, but loose enough to breath. To make sure something will fit, take measurements from a piece of clothing that fits you well and use those measurements to compare. If you use your personal actual measurements, you should always figure needing two inches extra for breathing room.

Label- Victor Costa. Victor is known as the king of the knock offs. If I had to guess which designer he knocked off for this dress, I would say it was Christian Lacroix.

Closes with back plastic zipper

Fabric is cotton.  This dress is lined in white cotton and the skirt has a layer of stiff nylon net. The top has boning front and sides.

Condition

No stains, holes, or tears. Very good condition. The underarms are clean and the lining is clean.

What Diane Likes About This Dress

Victor Costa has a great resume. He worked for Ceil Chapman, Oleg Cassini, and Suzy Perette before starting his own label in the 1970s. He designed for socialites and First Ladies. Victor is known as "The king of the knock-offs", and it is a title he seemed to relish. Victor seemed to have a complicated relationship with money. He grew up poor. With his mother, he would peek into store windows at dresses they could never afford. Victor would make copies of those dresses and sell them to the girls at his school. It was a practice he never stopped. He made it his mission to bring status and European couture to the American masses, at a affordable price. And of course, he became wealthy in his own right in doing so.  Victor was no slouch in fashion design himself. He probably could have made his own designs. But it was money and status that drew him in like a moth to the flame. As a child of poverty, I can see how it would all come together for him. He was a savvy businessman who knew what women and the fashion market wanted.
Victor loved drama and flamboyant design. 

One thing I like about Victor Costa dresses is how sculptural they are. He fits and flatters the body, but always adds lots of shape and texture. Even though Victor may have copied, you can tell his personal style by what and who he copied and how he adapted it with his personal taste.

I also appreciate his commitment to quality. Just look at the all the cheap knock offs coming into the market today. They barely last 1 wearing. This dress is over 40 years old and could easily serve another 40.

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn.”   Gore Vidal

"Style is the only thing you can’t buy. It’s not in a shopping bag, a label, or a price tag.
It’s something reflected from our soul to the outside world—an emotion.”  Alber Elbaz

This dress is big and pouffy. It will ship priority mail in a box for protection so it won't be crushed.

I am always happy to combine shipping.

I have a large amount of vintage clothing and am always adding new pieces.