This stunning evening dress bears the label "Victor Costa" and a small tag "Crafted with pride in the USA". The dress is in black velvet with white satin panels.

• Bust = 38"
• Waist = 32"
• Hips = 38"
• Shoulder to hem = 58"
• Skirt circumference at hem = 104"

The fully lined dress fastens at centre back with a 15" zipper. There are elasticated straps at the shoulders and they are covered with the velvet fabric. The bodice has 6 pieces of boning to ensure shape.

The bodice has an 11" wide drape attached at centre front and hanging loose around the shoulders, rather like a shawl effect. It can be worn on or off the shoulder. The swag is in the white satin fabric, backed with the black velvet.

The dress is fitted down to about mid-thigh level where 8 triangular panels of white satin have been fitted in to form the full skirt.  The dress has a pellon underskirt which has two layers of white netting to help give the skirt more shape.

This stunningly beautiful dress is a striking outfit for any formal occasion. However it does have some issues.

At some point drink has been spilt on the skirt leaving two of the white panels at the front marked - one panel is worse that the other, although all the stain are pretty faint and tend to be "lost" in amongst the fullness of the skirt.  I am unable to have the dress dry-cleaned here in UK as I am advised the American fabric requires the chemicals only used in the USA for this service.

I hasten to add that the stains are not screamingly norticeable as the fullness of the skirt actually does a good job of concealing them.