Paris Model

A daring strapless design, 'Nude at Midnight,' is unveiled in Paris. Socialite Gogo Montaine is eager to dazzle the Maharajah of Kim-Kepore that very night. The dress costs $900 and is charged to a former lover, Louis-Jean, who later shows up and refuses to pay.

Louis-Jean is stuck with the dress bill as the Raj begins paying more attention to the gambling tables. Gogo uses the dress and her charm to win him back and regain his favor. The unresolved payment triggers social intrigue around the couture sensation.

A New York buyer has an underling replicate the Paris dress design and produce a cheaper version. The rush to capitalize on the fad begins the cheaper market for 'Nude at Midnight.' The copycat fashion scene foreshadows the dress's broad cultural reach.

Betty Barnes spends $90 on a 'Nude at Midnight' dress to impress her boss, attorney Edgar Blevins, hoping to lure him away from his wife, Cora. She hopes to gain favor at work through her new look. Cora later eavesdrops on Betty at the dress shop.

Cora, Edgar's wife, learns of the dress and appears at the dress shop. While her husband is admiring Betty in the gown, Cora arrives wearing the exact same dress to divert his wandering eyes. The fashion rivalry intensifies as the copies flood the market.

Marion Parmalee attends a retirement party aiming to secure a promotion for her husband. Wearing a 'Nude at Midnight' dress she bought for $59, she flirts with P. J. Sullivan, a bed manufacturer and her boss. The flirtation foreshadows the political shakeups to come at the party.

During the party, Marion's flirtation with P.J. Sullivan escalates and they are caught atop a bed together. P.J.'s wife immediately names another man at the party as her husband's successor. The dress serves as a spark for scandal and shifting alliances.

In Los Angeles, Marta Jensen buys the eye-catching 'Nude at Midnight' dress for her 21st birthday and hopes Charlie will propose marriage. The couple struggles to secure a table at Michael Romanoff's restaurant, heightening the tension of the night. At a nearby table, the Maharajah of Kim-Kepore is drawn to Marta's dress.

A cheaper copy of the dress surfaces in Los Angeles, found on sale for about $19. Marta is tempted by the bargain, illustrating how the craze has broadened beyond the original couture. The copy fans the fashion intrigue around the gown.

The Maharajah of Kim-Kepore sits at a nearby table, openly admiring Marta as she stuns in the dress. His attention adds an international gloss to the LA dinner scene. The interplay between Marta, Charlie, and the royal observer heightens the dress's allure.

Across Paris, New York, Florida, and Los Angeles, the 'Nude at Midnight' dress unlocks attention, desire, and rivalry among four women and their partners. Each woman uses the dress to influence men in her orbit, from lovers to bosses. The garment's allure drives a chain of romantic and professional consequences.