c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit
c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit

balenciaga

c1958 Museum Held Balenciaga Haute Couture Purple Suit

This wonderful Haute Couture suit is from the 1957-58 collection and comes from the closet of the original owner who commissioned it directly from the atelier. It's near twin is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art however, this version is in the signature blue based purple color showcased in that collection unlike the more common grey version held at The Met. Cristobal Balenciaga was known for his fine tailoring and sculptural approach to design and the restrained and refined lines of this suit showcase that aesthetic. Even Dior himself declared Balenciaga as "the Master of us all" and Balenciaga's impact on fashion cannot be underestimated.

The suit is made of an purple, nubby wool that has a very interesting texture and in some lights has an almost blue tone to it. Cristobal was known for doing the fitting himself, from the initial muslin stage through to the final fittings which means that a couture suit such as this one, made during the years he was alive and headed the house, means that you have a garment fitted by the master himself. The skirt has a simple, straight cut that flares out at the hem for the slightest suggestion of an A-line cut. The jacket is cropped and cut to skim over the torso and suggest the curves of the body underneath. I love the double row of buttons set low on the front - a signature detail. Together the suit is refined and proper and of perfect proportions. To own a piece of couture Balenciaga is truly to own a piece of fashion history and his pieces were worn by starlets and society girls, including Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and many, many more. Excellent overall condition with notes to review below.

Entirely made by hand to Haute Couture standards. Both the jacket and skirt are fully lined in a hand-set blue silk. Interior hand finished seams. Hand done buttonholes. The skirt closes with a painted metal zipper and hook & eye at the waist. The jacket buttons to close. This suit has the following minor notes for condition: there is a small amount of fading along the edge of the inner seams under each arm and some stitches have disintegrated. Very minor shattering just starting along the edges of those seams. There is very minor, tiny light color loss to the edges of the buttons Please review all photos. The number underneath the label is 63295. I have included detail shots of some of the interior hand work.

Jacket
Sleeves: 16"
Shoulders: 15.5"
Bust: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 17" from neck to hem

Skirt
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 25" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD2642

Reference Photos: (1) F/W 1957-58 Balenciaga Suit from the MET.   (2) Princess Grace of Monaco wearing Balenciaga in Monte Carlo, 1960s.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

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SIZE GUIDE

Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.