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Vintage 1970s Lilli Diamond black maxi dress, front view on a mannequin — long sleeves, high mock neck, and a cascade of oversized appliqué flowers down the front.
Close view of the bodice — the high mock neck and the top of the flower cascade: a yellow daisy, a red-orange poppy, and a purple pansy.
Back view on the mannequin — plain black with no appliqué, and the center back zipper.
Side view — the long, straight line of the dress, with the appliqué flowers running along the front.
Close-up of the appliqué flowers — red-orange poppy, purple pansy, and yellow daisy on long green stems.
Close-up of a purple appliqué flower and its green leaf, showing the stitched edging.
Close-up of a red-orange appliqué poppy with yellow stamens.
Close-up of a yellow appliqué daisy with a pink center.
The woven label, reading 'Lilli Diamond, California' — the label carries no size and no fabric content.

Vintage 1970s Lilli Diamond Black Floral Appliqué Maxi Dress

$350.00
$350.00

All sales final — no returns. If your piece arrives damaged, defective, or not as ordered, contact us within 7 days.

Vintage 1970s Lilli Diamond maxi dress — black, with a cascade of oversized appliqué flowers running down the front: red-orange poppies, yellow daisies, and purple pansies on long green stems. It is a joyful, dramatic piece — the flowers do all the talking.

Lilli Diamond was a California dress label known for exactly this kind of party dressing. This dress is the very one featured in my Instagram reel — the most-loved piece I have ever shared.

A little label history: Al Diamond launched Lilli Diamond in Los Angeles in the 1950s, naming the label for his wife Lilli — a former vaudeville dancer, and his muse. Lilli had danced for a living, so Al designed dresses that knew how to move, and the label became famous for glamorous, high-spirited party dresses — dramatic shapes, rich fabrics, plenty of sparkle — sold in fine department stores across America.

In 1965 the label was bought by Campus Casuals. The plainer "Lilli Diamond, California" label, like the one sewn in this dress, belongs to those later years — and this maxi, with its pop-art flowers, is the label's love of drama carried into the 1970s.

Details:

  • High mock neck
  • Long sleeves
  • Center back zipper
  • A-line skirt that flares gently to the hem
  • Floor-length maxi
  • The appliqué cascade is on the front only — the back is plain black
  • Label: "Lilli Diamond, California" (woven label, photographed)

Measurements (laid flat, doubled where noted):

  • Bust: 36 in (18 in flat, underarm to underarm)
  • Waist: 32 in (16 in flat)
  • Hips: 36 in (18 in flat)
  • Length: 54 in, shoulder to hem
  • Sleeve: 22 in
  • Shoulders: 14.5 in, seam to seam

Size: there is no size on the label. By the measurements it fits like a modern Medium, about a size 8 to 10. Please go by the measurements above.

Fabric: the dress carries no fabric content tag, which is common for the era. It feels like a polyester knit, with some stretch to it.

Condition: Excellent condition — professionally cleaned and ready to wear.

All sales final.