SMITHSONIAN
Black Lace Bodice Nightgown with Pleated Skirt
1970s · 1970s · American
Production
mass-produced
Material
synthetic knit with machine lace
Culture
American
Movement
Hippie / Counterculture
Influences
empire waistline · 1970s synthetic textiles
A sleeveless nightgown featuring a fitted bodice constructed from machine-made lace in a floral pattern, transitioning to a flowing pleated skirt made from synthetic knit fabric. The V-neckline creates an elegant décolletage while wide shoulder straps provide support. The bodice appears to have an empire waistline where it meets the gathered skirt portion. The pleated skirt falls in soft vertical folds, creating movement and drape typical of synthetic jersey fabrics. The construction shows machine finishing throughout, reflecting 1970s mass production techniques for intimate apparel. The monochromatic black palette and combination of textural elements - smooth knit and textured lace - exemplifies the decade's approach to feminine sleepwear design.
dressa-linev-neckmaxi
Connected To
54%
Movement·Hippie / Counterculture
LINEAGEsame era · cross-culture→ directed
Lineage: “1970s synthetic textiles”
These two 1970s pieces reveal how synthetic fabrics democratized luxury across vastly different contexts—the Nigerian ceremonial dress transforms affordable synthetic velvet into regal grandeur with its bold red-and-pink colorblocking and geometric trim, while the American nightgown elevates machine-made lace and synthetic knits into something that mimics expensive lingerie.
Pull the Thread→
Follow this garment wherever the graph leads
