Though a lesser known label (it had a short life-span of about 30 years), the House of Branell does lay claim to one rather romantic and fashionable moment: When Prince Rainier III & Grace Kelly announced their engagement on January 5, 1956, Ms. Kelly was wearing a dress by Branell. The house then reissued the outfit to capitalize on the frenzy of publicity following the engagement; they called it the 'To Catch a Prince' dress. This black cocktail dress is something we could absolutely see Grace Kelly in! It has a deep v-neck front, with princess seams, jewel length sleeves, a drop waist covered with tufted puffs for fullness. I believe it is silk peau-de-soie (no fabric labels); it has a lovely weight & crispness to it and one could add a full crinoline to really accentuate the fullness of the skirt. Some of the photos were lightened to show the beautiful details of the dress design. There was a dry-cleaning tag on the label, though I can not attest to when it was cleaned, it is immaculate. There is a slight abrasion just left of center in the breast area (see photo), but it is barely visible and blends into the fabric easily. Otherwise, the dress is in excellent condition.
MEASUREMENTS
Bust: 34"
Waist: 25"
Hips: Free
Back/Shoulders: 15.5"
Sleeve: 17"
Length: 43"
24" back center metal zipper
PRICE: $175.00
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