• When dating this extraordinary Yves Saint Laurent dress, we found a photo of a piece with almost an identical cut bodice from 1972 along with several runway photos that show other pieces with that same cut to the bodice.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent
• I have included the reference photos here for you and it is interesting to note that the pleating technique that is used around the upper hip of the skirt was also done in a more intricate fashion for the 1974 Couture show.
• Yves often use ideas from both collections. - Rive Gauche and Couture - to build and develop ideas and it is fascinating to see the progression of his work from garment to garment.
• The dress combines a floral silk chiffon with a muted red silk on the skirt.
• This combination of silks give the dress just enough weight and structure to be able to create the impressive lines and volume that you see but while still making it feel soft and romantic.
• The top is a printed silk chiffon and it has a floral pattern in red, purples and greens that float over the entire bodice and the sleeves.
• The bodice is cut to skim over you and the waist nips in. It plunges at the front and crosses over itself. The neckline has been detailed with ruffles that begin at the back of the neck and circle around to follow the V at the front and then run down to the waist piping done in the same fabric detail.
• The skirt falls to the floor from there and it has yards and yards of fabric in it that creates the fullness and volume that you see.
• It is quite full by the time it reaches the hem and I love the volume that this type of fabric creates and how it billows around you as you move but at the same time it is as light as a feather.
• Under the waist are a series of tiny pleats that gradually open out to create the volume underneath. This intricate detail is a beautiful addition to the dress.
• The sleeves are outstanding and the perfect finishing detail. Each is a single layer of the silk chiffon and are wide and very full. They are caught up at the wrist with a circle full circle ruffle underneath. This creates a beautiful and dramatic finish to the top.
• The dress is fully lined in a red silk except for the sleeves which are unlined. It closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Attached ties at the waist and elastic in each cuff. Between the top silk and inner lining is a tulle ruffle that helps keep the volume of the skirt. I see some light marks around the hem of the skirt that are minor but mentioned for accuracy.
• Tagged a vintage YSL 38
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24" and they are 14" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14.5"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 16" from neck to waist
Total length: 62" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5561

Reference Photos: Fall 1972 Yves Saint Laurent.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• The twin of this coat walked the runway for Pre-fall 2019 Valentino for Look 4.
• It was made under the creative direction of Pierpaulo Piccioli.
• The show was in Tokyo and combined both women and the men's pre-fall, both firsts for the label. Piccioli maintained that "he wanted to 'keep the prettiness in the romanticism, the codes of the house' but then apply the notion of Wabi-Sabi to these clothes to bring them firmly into today's world."
• The coat is made out of a soft mohair and cotton mix to give the appearance of a shaggy sheepskin.
• The cut is meant to be oversized as you can see on its runway counterpart.
• It has no collar, but sits higher around the neck. The shoulders are soft and they curve down and into the more full cut sleeves.
• Three hidden hooks close it partway down from the neck and it's open from under that. Having them hidden keeps the coat feeling simple and sleek so it's just the drama of the red faux fur and the oversized silhouette that stays centre stage.
• When you look at the construction, it actually is quite clever and surprising. Panels fall from the front shoulders down and these sit over the panels that wrap around from the back. After about the waist each of the four panels fall independently from each other and this gives the coat lots of movement. The design is very clever.
• It also gives a very interesting feel when you put your hands in the pockets because you are actually slipping your hands through and under the front panels to a pocket tucked and hidden along the back panel that wraps around to the front.
• The red is a touch deeper than the classic Valentino red, which makes it a perfectly fabulous neutral in many ways.
• The coat has some weight but it is distributed over you very well once on the body.
• It is fully lined in a red silk and slips on to wear with three fur hooks hidden down the upper part of the front. The faux fur is purposely meant to look slightly aged and the coat appears to have been worn very little if at all. Pockets along each hip.
• Tagged a modern Valentino 44
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approximately 22" and they are 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: approximately 17.5" but meant to be soft and slightly draped/ oversized
Bust: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist-Hips: open
Total length: 46" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-XL

Item# DD5562

Reference Photo/Video: Pre Fall 2019 Valentino, Look 4. Model Fran Summers.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

• The dress is from the Fall 1979 Bill Blass collection.
• It was made under the creative direction of Bill Blass.
• I have had the twin of this dress in the shop a few years ago and I was very pleased to find another. Since we have had that original dress we happened to find the runway photo of the dress firmly dating it to Fall 1979.
• A similar version of this dress was worn by Slim Keith to attend the Met Museum Gala that year. We have also included a couple of shots of me in the one we had previously to give you an idea of how it is on.
• And a note to those who prefer not to wear fur; you could always un-tack and remove the sleeves and replace them with a faux version, feathers or anything you could imagine, or leave them without as Slim did and just store the cuffs for archival purposes.
• This dress is one of the best that he ever made. The dress has elements of his work that he would touch on continuously over the coming decades. It is also a wonderful example of just how sophisticated and glamorous he could be.
• The silk chiffon used for the base is feather light and it has a fine gold, metallic lurex thread that is woven through the silk to create vertical stripes.
• Hand applied gold sequins were then added to follow those gold threads. The sequins catch the light beautifully and add another dimension and texture to the dress.
• There is a subtle leaf print that runs through the silk and this adds a beautiful extra level of visual texture. 
• The upper part of the skirt is the same deep red as the bodice of the dress and then that leaf print gradually becomes more dense until it forms a solid soft brown around the lower hem. There is a slit up the front to let you walk.
• The dress has a nod to the 1930s in its cut but he has exaggerated some of the elements to keep it modern.
• The bodice crosses over itself and there is a built in brown silk under piece so that you can wear the dress and not have it completely transparent. On the bodice there are no sequins and this is deliberate to keep it lighter in feel.
• The sleeves extend directly out from the bodice and they narrow down as they reach the cuff. The cuffs are both finished with a 7" band of fur that is either a mink or a sable. It is gorgeous.
• The dress is fully lined in brown silk chiffon and closes with a hidden set box zipper. Hand finishes and hand set sequins. The cuffs have perhaps the very slightest of wear to the edges and are soft and supple. This one does not have its Bill Blass tag present, but has the appropriate size tag and a Saks Fifth Avenue tag inside. 
• Tagged a vintage Bill Blass 6
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approximately 27" 
Shoulders: no defined seam
Inner bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from the top of the shoulder to waist
Total length: 57.5" from the top of the shoulder to hem and the front slit is 19" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5563

Reference Photos: (1) Fall 1979 Bill Blass.  /  (2-3) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture, by Erin Leydon.  /  (4) Socialite Slim Keith in Bill Blass (left) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala in New York City, 1979.

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