Be a caterpillar by day and a butterfly by night, counseled the legendary designer Coco Chanel. "Nothing could be more comfortable than a caterpillar, and nothing could be more made for love than a butterfly." This high priestess of style understood what the well-dressed woman has always known: There's something special that goes on after dark. While daywear must be practical, versatile, and appropriate, the evening is open for interpretation, offering designers the rare opportunity to indulge their imagination and sense of festiveness and frivolity. A tribute to fashion's highest art, Evening Dress chronicles glamorous attire from ancient times up to the latest season, featuring photographs and sketches of hundreds of exquisite gowns. A celebration of this most elegant form of the sartorial arts, this lavish edition will engage, amuse, and inspire.