Sparkle, Shimmer, & Shine - Beaded Fringe

Beads - they add that touch of sparkle to an evening gown that draws the eye and makes a woman feel special. Beaded fringe moves as you do, to create even more shimmer and shine. The above dress, by Ben Reig, was featured in the October 1963 issue of Vogue magazine. This dress would have been designed by Eva Rosencrans, whom we've discussed in the past. The bracelet is by Miram Haskell.

Beading dates back thousands of years, but glass seed beads, such as those used above, did not exist until about 1480, when Murano glassmakers in Venice invented a technique known as the hollow cane drawn method. Molten glass was gathered on the end of a tool called a puntile, a bubble was incorporated into the center of a gather of molten glass, and a second puntile was attached before stretching the gather with its internal bubble into a long cane. The pulling was a skilled process, and canes were reportedly drawn to lengths up to 200 feet long. The drawn tube was then chopped, producing individual drawn beads from its slices. In this way, glassmakers were able to produce large quantities of beads in a shorter time.

Get some shimmer of your own with this light blue sequined dress that has beaded tassels on the bodice. This dress also dates to the early 60's and the beading was all hand done in Hong Kong. Available at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion. Click the picture for more details!