Arnold Scaasi

By the 1980s, designers had many options for using gold-colored fibers in their designs. This dress’s base fabric was machine-embroidered, creating what looks much like highly dimensional handmade needle lace. The lace was further embellished with rhinestones, stressing the dress’s Renaissance aesthetic. The fitted bodice with low, open neckline and the off-shoulder sleeves extending over the wrist of the wearer evoke styles from the late 16th or early 17th centuries.

Modern designers often erroneously interpret this historic garment as bare and open, neglecting to see that women added sheer linen chemises for modesty. This 16th-century example is on view in Intermission in the Chace Galleries.