Anything Goes

Evening Wear in Louisiana, 1896–1996

Online Exhibitions


No one fashion shape dominated this eclectic period. Dress for evening was very relaxed, including unconstructed tunics, pants, and caftans in flowing fabrics. The overall look was soft and fluid. Skin was bared in halter dresses and strapless gowns. Legs were shown off in miniskirts that rose as high as nine inches above the knee. A youthful feeling predominated. The "mod" boyish look of famous models like Twiggy was emulated. Bright, psychedelic colors and flower prints became popular. The closing of the design house of Balenciaga in 1968 presaged a decline in the leading role of haute couture in the mid-1970s. An eclectic, less formal feeling took hold. Nostalgia was expressed through use of stylistic elements of earlier periods.

Fashion in the 1960s and early 1970s reflected the radical spirit of the times. The 1960s began with Jacqueline Kennedy-inspired outfits, characterized by slim sheaths and elegant simplicity. Some women soon abandoned this understated style in favor of the youthful look of the counterculture. The civil rights, antiwar, and student movements, along with rock music, encouraged a liberal fashion mentality even in more conservative circles. New styles caught some institutions by surprise. The counterculture's interest in ethnic cultures around the world, particularly in the East, also steered designers to new, exotic looks.

In 1972 the Louisiana House of Representatives hastily amended its dress code and restricted women to skirts and dresses after a committee employee showed up in hot pants. The next day the unrepentant worker wore a miniskirt. Even formal wear followed this general trend as women's evening styles ranged from pants to miniskirts. In the 1970s such eclectic fashions as halter dresses, caftans, and tunics (sometimes paired with pants or long skirts) found their way into the formal wardrobe. The women's movement, which condemned restrictive bras and girdles, played some part in determining new styles, as loose-fitting flowing designs captured the spirit of the times.

Evening dress, Bill Blass, 1967. Gift of Mr. Maurine Rentner. Louisiana State Museums 1967.033.
Evening dress
Bill Blass, 1967
Gift of Mr. Maurine Rentner
Louisiana State Museums 1967.033

Mary Quant had a revolutionary effect on fashion when she introduced the miniskirt in England in 1965. French designer André Courrèges also had a powerful impact in the mid-1960s when he created clothing with stark, clean lines, such as the A-line dress.

Bill Blass was one of the premier American designers who developed styles for a youthful market. In this evening minidress, he has put his own mark on the basic styles established by English and European designers. He favored tailored, straight-edged shapes and patterns, as seen in this dress with its notched collar, subtle woven windowpane pattern and pockets. The rhinestone trim gives the dress a decorative effect suitable for evening.
Evening dress, Geoffrey Beene for Beene Boutique, ca. 1971. Gift of Mrs. E. Ralph Lupin, Jr., née Freda Merlin, Worn by the donor. Louisiana State Museums 1992.088.03.
Evening dress
Geoffrey Beene for Beene Boutique, ca. 1971
Gift of Mrs. E. Ralph Lupin, Jr., née Freda Merlin
Worn by the donor
Louisiana State Museums 1992.088.03

Geoffrey Beene was born in Haynesville, Louisiana, just south of the Arkansas border, in 1924. He spent a year as a medical student at Tulane University in New Orleans and became dissatisfied, eventually moving to New York and then to Paris to study design. He established his own business in 1963.

This dress was worn to a summer ball. One of Beene's signature techniques during this period was the use of informal prints made more formal by the use of elegant fabrics and design elements. This has been achieved here by enhancing the polka dot pattern with chiffon and ruffles. He was also well known for his doll-like empire waists and ribbon trim.
Evening gown, Oscar de la Renta, ca. 1970. Gift of Mrs. Louise Reiss Rogas, Worn by the donor. Louisiana State Museums 1985.130.08.
Evening gown
Oscar de la Renta, ca. 1970
Gift of Mrs. Louise Reiss Rogas
Worn by the donor
Louisiana State Museums 1985.130.08

The cutout midriff in this rich velvet gown is one of the elements of counterculture style that found its way into high fashion. In the late 1960s, Oscar de la Renta began utilizing Moroccan motifs in his designs, which included scrolled gold braid with gem-like ornamentation as seen in this gown.
Evening ensemble, Ingeborg, ca. 1976. Gift of Mrs. Carolyn Long, Worn by the donor. Louisiana State Museums 1995.103.2a-b.
Evening ensemble
Ingeborg, ca. 1976
Gift of Mrs. Carolyn Long
Worn by the donor
Louisiana State Museums 1995.103.2a-b

Carolyn Long, wife of Senator Russell Long, purchased this dress from a boutique in the Watergate building in Washington, DC, where the Longs lived at the time. She wore it to a bicentennial dinner hosted by President Gerald Ford in honor of French President Giscard d'Estaing. She also wore it to a state dinner given by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 for the Shah and Empress of Iran and to the annual Mardi Gras ball held in Washington.

This sheath-style dress illustrates the simpler, straighter form evening wear took in the 1970s. The abstract geometric modernist gold and silver design was aptly suited to its clean silhouette and added shimmer and sparkle.

Evening gown, Halston, ca. 1975. Bergdorf Goodman, New York, retailer, Gift of Mrs. Harold H. Stream, Jr., née Matilda Geddings Gray, Worn by the donor. Louisiana State Museums 1987.027.01.
Evening gown
Halston, ca. 1975
Bergdorf Goodman, New York, retailer
Gift of Mrs. Harold H. Stream, Jr., née Matilda Geddings Gray
Worn by the donor
Louisiana State Museums 1987.027.01

Halston entered the field of fashion as a milliner and created the pillbox hat with which Jacqueline Kennedy was closely identified. He was also one of the first designers to franchise his label.

The caftan first appeared on the fashion scene in 1967. This one is characteristic of Halston, with its deep V-neck, layered chiffon, and almost seamless simplicity and columnar effect. Purple was one of Halston's favorite colors.
Browse Eras

Evening Wear in Louisiana, 1896–1996
Online Exhibition

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