SOLD - Designer Shift Dress & Jacket Suit By Gio Guerreri, Linen & Rhinestones, EU 48

Designer Shift Dress & Jacket Suit By Gio' Guerreri, Linen & Rhinestones, EU 48

Description

Humans have been making linen for at least 30,000 years and it has long been used for the finest clothing, especially in hot climates where its natural breathability and comfortable lightweight was in high demand. In Ancient Egypt, it was to make the robes worn by the Pharaohs and priests, and in addition to its practicality was seen as a symbol of purity - the Tarkhan Dress, which at five thousand years is the oldest example of women's clothing ever discovered, is made of linen.

It's still highly valued to this day, and has never been out of fashion - probably the ultimate easy-care/easy wear fabric, it's soft, stylish, cool and comfortable and flatters any body shape, especially when it's been tailored by such a true master as Betta Guerreri, owner and designer of the legendary fashion house Gio' Guerreri in Milan. The company grew out of a boutique owned by Betta's mother Gianlorenza - the Gio' in the company name - and has become famous for its numerous variations on the simple shift dress, sometimes plain and classical and sometimes richly decorated and à la mode, all made with Betta's extraordinary attention to detail which has led some followers to claim that her work is more akin to engineering than couture.

This beautiful dress and jacket suit is both classical and modern. In form, it's a traditional relaxed fit sleeveless shift dress and comfort-fit blazer with wide lapels, but the opulent decoration made up of thousands of honey and amber coloured rhinestones in a multitude of shapes is very modern, like a flapper dress with a 21st Century twist; combining the best of both worlds, it wouldn't look out of place in almost any period during the long history of linen.

Betta, unusually for an Italian designer, does not limit her garments to supermodel sizes - this suit is a European 48, equivalent to a UK 20-22; however, Italian brands are famous for coming up small and, accounting for the relaxed fit, this particular item looks more like an 18-20 - lying flat, pit-to-pit is 55cm (21.5 inches) while shoulder-to-hem is 102cm (40 inches).

It is in very good worn condition without any serious or visible damage and all seams and stones are tightly stitched, but there are some minor faults: only two of these, a tiny pink mark near the right arm and an even smaller orange one on the front, are visible from the outside and are so tiny and light as to be almost invisible (as seen in the last photo - they will almost certainly vanish if dry cleaned. More serious, and also seen in the last photo but fortunately invisible when the dress is worn, is the stain on the lining near to the zip; this is quite large and extends as far as the hem but cannot seen through the fabric of the dress.

Due to the nature of this item it is not always possible for us to identify any missing parts.
For this reason we ask that you please check the pictures carefully, as these show everything that is included.

Further Details & Enquiries

This item has been very kindly donated to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Our ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care, helping them to make every moment count.

100% of the money raised from this sale will go to the charity.

Our sales team do their best to check each item and ensure that the description and pictures provided are as accurate as possible.

Feedback is extremely important to the charity so if you are not fully satisfied with your purchase please give us a chance to resolve any issues by contacting us prior to leaving feedback.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via eBay messages, we will make sure that your message is responded to promptly, usually within three working days. Messages sent over the weekend will be responded to on the next working day.

If this item is not quite what you were looking for but you would still like to help our cause, please consider providing us with a donation which can be done via our eBay Charity Profile linked below.

Donate via Arthur Rank Hospice Charity Profile

Payment

We only accept payments made through one of eBay's many approved methods. Please make sure to complete your payment within 96 hours of winning an item. Once your payment has been received we will dispatch your item as soon as possible, usually within two working days.

Delivery

Delivery times are calculated in working days (Monday to Friday). If your order is placed after 1pm, the next working day will be considered the first working day for delivery. In case of bank holidays and during the Christmas period where delays are more likely, please allow an extra few days for delivery.

Domestic Delivery

We aim to dispatch orders within two working days. If for any reason there is an unexpected delay in dispatching your order we will make sure to inform you of this as soon as possible.

We use Hermes to deliver the majority of our parcels. If you would like to specify a preferred neighbour, or safe place for the parcel to be left, please leave the details in a message when placing your order.

Some low-value items will be sent by Royal Mail 2nd Class. Some items of higher value are sent by Royal Mail Signed For or Special Delivery, which requires a signature. If you are not present at the time of delivery, a card will be left instructing you to arrange a redelivery, or to collect your order from the local sorting office.

International Delivery

International orders are handled by eBay's Global Shipping Programme.

For full details please see the following eBay help page: Buying internationally with the Global Shipping Programme.

Collection

Items can be collected from our Retail Hub at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, Eastern Counties Leather Industrial Estate, Pampisford, CB22 3EE during our opening hours of 10:00 to 16:00, Tuesday to Saturday. If you would like to collect your item please contact us in advance to arrange this.

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Returns

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity uses the eBay Returns system to make the process as easy for you as possible. For full details about the process, and for information on how to begin a return, please see the following eBay help page: Return an item for a refund.

Change of Mind

If when you receive your order you are not completely satisfied, you may return the items to us within 30 days for a refund. Returns will be processed within three working days once the goods have been received by us.

Items must be returned to us in the same condition as they were received by you. This includes, but is not limited to: original packaging, original boxes, packaging materials, manuals, blank warranty cards, accessories and documents. We reserve the right to refuse a return or deduct an amount for lost value where the item is returned in a different condition.

We strongly recommend that you fully insure your package that you are returning, as well as using a carrier that can provide you with tracking information or proof of delivery.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity will not be held responsible for returns lost or damaged in transit.

Please be aware that it is the responsibility of the customer to cover any delivery charges for returning an unwanted item.

Incorrect/Damaged Goods

We try very hard to ensure that you receive your order in pristine condition. In the unlikely event that your order arrives damaged or faulty, please contact us via eBay immediately, this will be given special priority and you can expect to receive a response within 48 hours, Monday to Friday. Arthur Rank Hospice Charity will cover the cost of domestic return postage for any incorrect or damaged items, subject to the cost of the chosen return method being reasonable. Please contact us before proceeding if unsure.

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