Vtg CHESSA DAVIS Floral MAXI SKIRT TOP PRAIRIE OUTFIT SET See Measurements EUC

Description

Davis, Chessa
Jun 26, 2013 | by admin | Label Resource | Labels
Chessa Davis was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico into an old Spanish land-grant family. Her first career was as an actress, having been discovered at age 12 by Charles Laughton. She appeared in many films & hundreds of TV shows. She first got into fashion by giving her husband, Ellis Kadison, some wardrobe advice on a film he was making.
But what really got her design career into high gear was a peasant skirt she made for herself to wear to a party. A Beverly Hills shop owner ordered 6 on the spot & they sold out immediately. She made her garage into a workshop & hired seamstresses to make the unique skirts, which were based on old peddler skirts. Historically, they were stitched together out of odds & ends of fabrics & embellishments were added. These skirts then became popular among the rich, who tried to outdo each other by adding more & more ornaments, including intricate needlework patches, wedding rings, baby spoons, thimbles, rings & coins.
In the early 1970s these Peddler’s Cloak skirts, being manufactured in California by WW Duke, became wildly popular among the bohemians & artists. Thousands of them sold around the world, making Chessa famous for this rich peasant style. Some of the names of the skirts were Tinker Frau, Aunt Goldie, Captain’s Daughter & Georgetown. They were made in panels & included patchworks in cotton, gauze, lace & velvet. Many of the skirts came with blouses & sashes. Quoting Chessa: “they are romantic, feminine, comfortable, yet not a costume. And they make a woman look & feel young”. Some of her customers were Princess Grace, Dinah Shore, Mary Tyler Moore & Betty Ford.
EXCELLENT CONDITION vintage condition. No size tag found so please check measurements to ensure a good fit. Set comes with an additional piece that could be used as a belt, scarf or even a hair tie.
Measurements (in inches):
TOP
Pit to pit - 20
Width at bottom - 21
Shoulder to cuff - 24
Pit to cuff - 16
Shoulder to shoulder - 15
Back collar to bottom - 25
SKIRT
Waist - 31-35 (at rest and stretched comfortably)
Hips - 42
Length - 41.5
Measurements may not be exact as I am not a seamstress, just a woman with a tape measure.
As shown in photos.
Photos are of the actual shirt you will receive, not stock photos.
Note that there may be color shade and hue variances due to different monitors and device settings. I do my best to state colors accurately, but different shades of the same color family can be pretty subjective.
Smoke free home and fast shipping.
Sales are final. Please message me for any additional measurements you'd like before purchasing. A sale may be cancelled if payment is not received within 48 hours.
Thank you for looking.
Although I have handling set to three days, your item will most likely be shipped the day after purchase. If my handling time is currently more then three days, then I am away from my store spending time with family for a few days. I will message you after purchase with the date I will be mailing your item. If you need your item by a specific date please message me before purchase to make sure I can accommodate you.