After Hours · sü 1990s Black Dropped-Waist Jersey Dress
Stretch jersey bodice · fluid skirt panel · wide scoop neck · broad U-back · long sleeves · dropped waist · midi length · sü · 1990s · L 118cm flat, stretchy · AU 8–12 · Very good
The bodice is black stretch merino wool jersey with a wide scoop neckline, the sleeves long and easy. Below the dropped waist seam, fold asymmetrically with a hidden slit in the folds. The hem falls at midi length. There is nothing superfluous here.
The dropped-waist silhouette recurred in the 1990s as an angular contrast to the body-conscious dressing happening in parallel. Where lycra clung, the dropped waist descended and flared, returning the emphasis to hem rather than hip. sü was a label that understood this register: understated, well-cut, working in black.
The wool jersey is clean and smooth. The skirt panel holds its drape without clinging. The seam between bodice and skirt is secure.
Material
Stretch jersey bodice, fluid skirt panel (possibly georgette or fine crepe)
Care
hand-wash in cool water. Dry flat. Do not iron the wool jersey on high heat.
More on looking after vintage pieces in our care guide.
Size
Measured flat: length 118cm, bust 40cm, waist 35cm, hip 50cm, sleeves 57cm long and 13cm wide. The merino jersey stretches generously, and those numbers relax with it: she hugs an AU 8 and accommodates to an AU 12 without complaint.
Our size guide explains how vintage sizing is read here.
Condition
very good. The fabric has no pilling, holes or pulls. Clean throughout.
Our condition lexicon explains the grades we use.
Before it reaches you
Someone loved this before you did, and I try to honour that properly. Each piece is hand washed, or cleaned in the way that the fabric permits, then steamed until it softens and straightens and feels newly attended to. Wherever a button was missing, it has been replaced with a vintage one from my long-kept collection. Wherever a hem had given way, I fix it by hand. By the time it leaves this room it is genuinely clean, pressed, whole, and looked over one final time before I let myself believe it is ready. Not restored. Not made new. Just returned to a state where it can be loved again, by someone who was not there the first time.
The label is called sü and has never explained the umlaut, which tells you everything about the 1990s worth keeping. The skirt folds asymmetrically because symmetry goes home early, and this dress does not. Merino keeps its own counsel and your warmth, strictly in that order. Wear her after hours. The hours will adjust.