Ciel Chapman Little Black Dress │ Vintage Designer to the Stars

Ceil Chapman. 

That's all the name you need to know.

She was a fashion designer extraordinaire.

She was said to be Marilyn Monroe's favorite designer. And that may be true. But, as much as Marilyn liked her, Chapman was a designer to many Hollywood stars. 

Vintage Fashion Guild did an interesting little write-up about her. And according to Wikipedia, "Ceil Chapman (née Mitchell; February 19, 1912 – July 13, 1979) was an American fashion designer who worked in New York City from the 1940s to the 1960s. She created glamorous cocktail and party dresses and worked with celebrity clients including television and movie actresses."

I'm one of the lucky ones to have recently found a Ceil Chapman dress while I was out at my local thrift shop sourcing for vintage clothing for my shop. 

These dresses are desirable, and so few were made (I mean, some were made but they weren't manufactured the way clothing is manufactured today. Fast fashion wasn't a thing back then.)

In fact, I didn't know this dress even was a Chapman. I couldn't find the label until I got home and turned the dress inside out. My heart was beating out of my chest as soon as I saw the tag. A real Ceil Chapman. In my hands!

It is a beautiful little black dress.

There is a gorgeous back "netting" over the shoulders and back as well as bows down the back.  It's slightly too big for me, otherwise, it would stay in my closet forever.

Finding a Ceil Chapman isn't something you put on your to-do list. It's something that happens because it comes to you! And I swear that's what happened to me. I wasn't looking for it, but it came to me anyway.

Ceil Chapman Dress

If you're a size small, you might want to take a closer look. She is a beauty and waiting for the right buyer. And maybe you're the rightful owner.

I feel blessed to have found the dress in the first place and lucky to take care of her until she is sent to the right home.

Ceil Chapman is a fashion designer icon and now that I'm currently in possession of one, there's no doubt to this. The quality of craftsmanship, design, and fabrics are some of the best I've ever seen. I've sold hundreds of vintage dresses and almost all vintage dresses are of serious quality. 

But this one... this one is just a little bit above the rest.

Ceil Chapman.♥