This 1940s two-piece Zoot suit danced its way to the top lot for $8,750 ($2/4,000).

Review by Z.G. Burnett; Images Courtesy of Augusta Auctions

BELLOWS FALLS, VT. — The Holiday Vintage & Couture sale on December 6 finished Augusta Auctions’ yearly schedule, producing an eclectic lineup of top lots that represented nearly 200 years of global fashion. These and 250 other lots were consigned by The Valentine Museum, Richmond, Va., The Colonial Dames of America, Ohio State University and other private estates, many of them fresh to market. The auction was conducted remotely though Augusta Auctions’ in-house bidding service and LiveAuctioneers.

Topping the charts was a 1940s “street style” two-piece Zoot suit, tailored in striped navy wool twill, that achieved $8,750. The suit showed all the exaggerated proportions of Zoot suit hallmarks, as well as some light wear concurrent with age in use. It was otherwise in “excellent” vintage condition. This Zoot suit follows another plaid wool example that sold from Augusta during last year’s December auction, which was also bid to $8,750.

Chinese and Chinese-inspired clothing was popular among high-bidding buyers, and a few examples from the Colonial Dames of America collection stood out. Second in the overall sales was a circa 1900 lady’s embroidered vest that achieved $5,625. The black silk vest was heavily embroidered with floral, bat, butterfly and bird motifs, as well as embroidered cream bands to neckline and patterned silk button enclosures. Next was an “informal” burnt sienna silk robe, embroidered with couched silk and metallic threads showing five-clawed dragons surrounded by waves and mountains, embroidered neck and sleeve bands, and black satin monkey knot closures. This was bid to $4,625. The earliest example in this category was a circa 1875 kesi, or tapestry-woven, robe. The summer-weight robe was in “fair to good” antique condition, selling for $2,875.

The highest-selling Chinese garment from the Colonial Dames of America collection, this sleeveless, embroidered black silk vest, also placed second in the overall auction at $5,625 ($1,2/1,500).

High fashion from the late Twentieth Century also did well. Following the informal Chinese robe in price was a hot pink silk gazar evening gown from Christian Dior’s 1971 Fall/Winter collection at $4,000. Trimmed with scalloped ruffles and secured with a flouncy bow, a similar dress was once part of Grace Kelly’s collection. An Anne Fogarty evening dress from the same decade in synthetic pleated crepe surprised bidders by surpassing its $300/500 estimate to $1,500. Another couture Dior gown, designed by Gianfranco Ferre for the house’s 1993 Spring/Summer line, sold for $1,938. The dress appeared to include a red silk satin bodice with its back and sleeves cut into a single piece, but this was seamed into the bodice front over a white silk chiffon shaped underbodice, connected to a two-tiered shirt by a pleated and ruched broad black silk crepe cummerbund, all of which could be put on and secured with a single zipper.

Augusta often offers intriguing group lots, but two in this auction particularly piqued bidders’ interests. A pair of 1920s hats that may have otherwise been overlooked were saved from ignominy by their decorations. Both hats were in “fair to good” vintage condition, but also showed enamel buckles from Wiener Werkstatte, one with some light wear and the other in “very good” condition. These buckles brought the $400/600 estimate up to a final price of $3,125. A group lot of three 1880s bustles and a bust improver followed in price, all unusual for their own reasons. The bustle pads were in “excellent” condition; one was collapsible, and the other showed stamps reading, “Ferris Patents… Style 420.” The bust improver was also marked with its dates and style code, was expandable and made with feather boning. These sold together for $2,063.

Two cream silk satin evening gowns, circa 1880, the left showing a maple pattern, that sold together for $1,563 ($400/600).

Other lots were cohesive, showing the drastic transition in women’s silhouettes from the late Nineteenth to the early Twentieth Centuries. Chronologically, the first lot was a pair of circa 1880 cream silk evening gowns with all the pleating and ruching of their era, achieving $1,563. From the next decade was another pair of evening gowns, one in black silk velvet and the other in pale pink velvet stock, both displaying voluminous sleeves. These were deaccessioned by The Valentine Museum and bid to $1,750. These were trumped in price by a circa 1920s evening dress that was designed by Gabrielle Chanel and made of earlier Chantilly lace that dated circa 1860. It showed far more skin than most women would have dreamed in 1880-90, and had very little construction in the body. The evening dress was also in “very good” condition, earning it $2,500.

Prices are quoted with buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Augusta Auctions’ next sale will be conducted remotely on February 21. For information, 802-463-3333 or www.augusta-auction.com.