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!

1961 Eva Rosencrans for Ben Reig Evening Gown

Eva Rosencrans worked in partnership with her sister-in-law, Nettie Rosenstein in a wholesale business named Nettie Rosenstein starting in 1931. They worked by draping dresses directly on medium sized live models, which meant that their designs flattered average American women. Another unique aspect of the business was that each dress was sewn by one seamstress from start to finish, rather than by assembly line. They kept the line exclusive by only selling to one store per city.

In 1961, Nettie made the decision to leave the clothing business in order to concentrate on accessories. At this time, Eva Rosencrans went to design for Ben Reig. She was known for her luxurious but simple designs. This evening gown was featured in the September 15, 1961 issue of Vogue magazine, and was probably from her first line for Ben Reig.

"Liquid black: silk evening dress from the Ben Reig collection, designed by Eva Rosencrans." The dress has a draped bodice with straps that come from the side seams below the bust, criss-cross at the upper edge of the bodice and then encircle the neck. The skirt is softly gathered onto the waist and a tulip slit shows the leg from the knee to the hem. Love those long black kid gloves and the full length mink draped casually over the chair. The model is not wearing a hat, but has long dramatic chandelier earrings.


Get the look with this 1950's black velvet cocktail dress with its halter strap that can be worn many ways. Available at our website. Click the picture to see the listing.