Evening Dress c. 1937

Ray Price created this drawing of an evening dress, using graphite and watercolor, sometime in the twentieth century. Garment design operated within a complex economy of taste and class. Evening wear, in particular, with its associations of formal social occasions, carries a heavy symbolic load. The drawing provides a glimpse into a world where clothing was not merely functional but a statement of identity and social position. Consider the labor involved in producing such a garment, from the textile mills to the seamstresses, and the layers of social hierarchy embedded in its creation and consumption. To truly understand this design, we need to delve into archives, fashion magazines, and social histories. These resources can shed light on the cultural values and economic forces that shaped not only the dress itself, but also the society in which it was worn.