• The twin of this tunic walked the runway in the Fall 1985 YSL Haute Couture collection for Look 43.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• This is the collection that the book 'Yves Saint Laurent: Catwalk' notes that "silence reigned during the catwalk presentation for which YSL had decided not to include music. The models processed noiselessly into the salon of the Hotel Intercontinental. This was a collection of essentials for an autumn/winter that was marked by a sobriety, simplicity and purity". French Vogue said "the woman herself was showcased in her typical Parisian elegance". The review specifically noted the use of purple balancing out the more sombre blue, brown and greys. Several variations of the shape of this tunic were shown on that runway.
• In the YSL folio that contains all the drawings from the collection we found the original sketch for the look.
• I love that it started with the scarf that matches the folio drawing and then as the model proceeded down the runway the scarf was removed and she had a fabulous jewelled choker underneath.
• Yves always cut his couture pieces so perfectly. In my opinion owning a piece of his couture work is one of the ultimate vintage acquisitions.
  
• It would have been made entirely by hand in the Paris atelier. 
• The tunic is made from a high-end wool jersey that holds it shape and drapes beautifully.
• This is a gorgeous and versatile piece. It can be worn open and easy. layered under other pieces. or belted. I have added a simple black grosgrain ribbon around the waist for some of the photos to show you how the shape changes once belted. The ribbon is not original to the tunic but I will include it.
• The neckline is scooped and the shoulders have handmade padding underneath to hold that perfect 1980s shape.
• The top of one shoulder is detailed with three buttons and all of these buttons are functional.
• The sleeves are set wide into the body of the tunic and gathered at the top for a slight cap affect. They billow out to be very full and open all the way to the cuff. The cuffs are finished so that the sleeve gather into them. The cuffs themselves are also slightly over-sized in their diameter.
• The body of the tunic is extremely loose and easy and widens out as it nears the hem. It is intentionally made to feel over-sized. This makes it very easy to fit on a variety of body types.
• I love the seam that runs down just inside of the outer edges on both sides. These end in a curve at the hem and there is a slit on both sides. Just above the slits are hidden set pockets.
• The back has a defined seam that runs down its centre and the zipper is hidden underneath it. Once on the body it appears to have no closures.
• It is a fantastic piece of true Couture and an easy way to work in some YSL vintage magic into your wardrobe.
• The tunic is fully lined in a handset matching purple silk through the body and the sleeves are unlined. It closes with a zipper at the back. The buttons on the top of the shoulder are functional. Pockets on each side. 
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 22.5" and they are approximately 20" around the upper arm
Shoulders: 15.25"
Bust: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 28" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 29" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5664

Reference Photo: Fall 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture, Look 43.

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.

• This dress dates to the late 1970s early 1980s.
• It was made under the creative direction of Adele Simpson.
• Adele Simpson launched her label in 1949 and remained at its helm until the early 1980s. She became known as 'America’s First Ladies’ Designer' after dressing 6 first ladies over the course of her long career.
• She was also one of the founders of both the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the Fashion Group International (FGI).
• Her pieces were well made ready-to-wear at prices that were attainable for the modern woman. She was once asked what fashion was to her and she replied that for her it was 'a fascination with the way people all over the world express their sense of beauty.'
• This is a beautiful example of her work during this point of her label.
• The dress is made out of a very pretty light in weight blue silk that holds the shape and volume very well.
• The dress has a simple wrap silhouette. You simply slip your arms in and then hook it into place along the waist. The brilliant pink silk sash ties around you so that you are able to cinch it as much as you need.
• You could dramatically change the look at the dress by changing the sash out for a belt or a different colour sash. I love the versatility that this gives you.
• The top has an inner body with a panel that drapes over your shoulders and down the top of the arm. This continues around all the way to give you that lovely cape effect that you see.
• The waist is defined by a wide 3.5" band of the same silk.
• The skirt is set in along the waist and lightly gathered. This is what gives you the fullness all the way around you. 
• Inside the back of the skirt is an added attached panel of black netting that has been stiffened and starched and this helps to hold the volume of the dress away from the body slightly to add to the fullness that it has.
• The skirt is cut so that it is shorter at the front and then falls into a peak at the back. This allows for a bit of leg to show as you sit and move. 
• The dress is fully lined in a second layer of the same fabric. It closes at the waist with a series of flat hook and eye hidden inside and along the outside once it is wrapped into place. If you needed more or less room at the waist you could move the hooks as needed. The measurements below are based on where the hooks are set at the moment. I see some marks at one end of the sash. 
• There is no size tag present. Please go by the measurements below.
• Excellent condition

Cape: is just under 14" it's widest point
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 11.5" from neck to top of the band at the waist
Total length: 57" from neck to the back hem and the shortest part of the front is approximately 34"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5661

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.

• This is a phenomenal dress whose twin walked the runway for the Spring 1989 Nina Ricci show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Gerard Pipart.
• I love that there are runway reference photos of the dress so you can see how it will sit once on the body. 
• The dress is true Couture and was completely made by hand in the Paris atelier.
• It is made out of a deep blue silk that is very high-quality and it is lined by hand in a matching blue silk chiffon.
• The shoulders have hand done padding in them for some added shape and the sleeves are set wide into the body of the dress. They narrow as they fall to the wrist and the lower part of the outside seam is gathered to create a slight ruffled feel at the cuff.
• A panel of the same silk starts at the waist of one side and sweeps up in a curve to be gathered on top of the shoulder on the opposite side. Under that the bottom skims down to the waist area.
• The waist is shaped by the fabric being gathered in at the side and the way it is cut. If you wanted to add more shape you could easily add a belt.
• The panel that starts underneath the top panel extends down past the hip and does the same sweeping over the internal skirt. It curves up to the side to form an opposite curve to the one of the bodice.
• There is one more sweeping curve formed over the lower skirt. This one matches the direction of the curve of the top part of the dress. The way that it gathered in the side gives it a little bit more of a ruffled feel then the other two.
• I love this back-and-forth sweeping feel that the dress has. It almost feels like petals of a flower as they curve over you. On the runway, each of the three spots was highlighted with a flower. If you wanted to re-create that look it would be very easy to add removable flowers set on a brooch and you could use whatever colour you chose at the three spots.
• This is a beautifully made and elegant dress of the highest possible quality given that it's true Couture.
• The dress is fully lined in handset silk organza under the panels and a blue silk through the body. It closes with a back zipper. All of the work is done by hand. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please see the measurements listed below.
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24" and they are 17" around the upper arm
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 44.5" from top of shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5651

Reference Photo: Spring 1989 Nina Ricci Haute Couture.

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 dress in red walked the Spring 1985 runway.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• The red version was used for the 1985 ad campaign shot by Helmut Newton that featured his long time muse Kirat Young.
• This is one of the iconic pieces of that season and I am very pleased to have found this deep blue one. I feel like the darker colour makes it slightly less scandalous feeling and it is something you could wear more often.
• These were made in two versions for production, a more modest cut version that was produced in greater quantities and then the deeply plunged dresses that stayed true to the runway and are harder to find.
• The dress is made from a beautiful deep blue silk jersey that has enough weight and drape to it so that is falls perfectly in the sharp angular lines that Yves wanted it to be shaped in.
• It is a beautiful representation of this time period with its precisely shaped strong shoulders and how the shape of it narrows in as it reaches the hem.
• The dress is cut to skim over the body. It hooks and snaps to close at the waist in behind that spectacular gold and jewel clasp.
• The low cut V of the front is if course what makes it so edgy and the addition of that strong shot of gold at the waist makes it an instantly recognizable piece of YSL.
• The clasp is based on a Robert Goossen design and suggests coral or branches, each tipped with a glittering rhinestone.
• The centre is a large faceted glass stone and this hides the hooked clasp behind it that brings in the waist. The fabric is gathered in towards that clasp to give you shape while still keeping it very easy to wear.
• The dress skims over you from shoulder to hem and each sleeve is long and cut to mimic the shape of the body of the dress by having them be cut wider at the shoulders and then narrow down to the zippered wrist.
• It is amazing on the body and just a beautiful and iconic piece of his work.
• The dress is partially lined through the upper bodice in a matching blue silk chiffon with the rest of the dress unlined. It slips on to wear and hooks in at the waist behind the jewel with a flat hook & eye. The keyhole under that closes with hidden set snaps. There is an attached inner waist stay to help hold the dress in place around you. The waist measurement below is based on that inner stay. If you needed more room, you could easily add to it or remove it. I have added the exterior waist measurement for you as well. Each sleeve zips to close. Padding in each shoulder. The fabric does have stretch so should work on various body types, stretching to accommodate curves and draping on smaller frames. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. 
• Tagged a vintage YSL 36
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: 24" and they are 16" around the upper arm
Shoulders: to 15.5" but meant to be slightly exaggerated
Bust: 15-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Exterior waist: 13.5-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam and the current attached inner waist stay is 26.5" from hook to hook.
Hips: 19-22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 44.5" from neck to hem and the plunge is 17" from neck to the inner hook.

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD5653

Reference Photos: (1-2) Spring 1985 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (3) Kirat Young for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Spring 1985, shot by Helmut Newton, Vogue US March 1985.  /  (4) Another shot from the same shoot used for other publications that year.

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

• The twin of this dress walked the runway for the Fall 1987 show.
• It was made under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent.
• We have included reference photos of it from the runway for you so that you can see how fabulous it is on the body. We even found one where you can see the model walking back down the runway so you can see how gorgeous it is from the back as well.
• This is an easy to wear and very chic little YSL dress perfect for parties.
• The top layer of the dress is an unusual blue-purple colour that runs through a lace feeling fabric.
• It has a bit of a metallic feel from it caused by a metallic thread that runs through the lace.
• Over that are thousands of glossy black sequins that follow the pattern. The sequins catch the light from every angle.
• Underneath that top layer is a deep blue silk chiffon that has a touch of transparency to it with the two layered over each other it is opaque enough to wear safely.
• The combination of these two fabrics keep it light and weight so that it feels amazing once on the body.
• The dress sits off the shoulder to leave a bare expanse of skin across the top and it is finished with a pretty black silk organza ruffle. 
• The sleeves fall to just past the elbow and each is also finished with a ruffle.
• From there the dress skims over you, running over the bust and past the waist, with no seaming there to break the line. At the top of the hip there is a seam that has another ruffled detailing.
• The skirt falls under that and widens out as it nears the hem. A final ruffle goes all the way around the edge of the skirt. The back of the skirt is set to hang a touch longer than the front. This gives you a beautiful curve from the side and adds a touch of pretty volume.
• It is a gorgeous dress and really showcases Yves' innovative eye and design genius.
• The dress is fully lined in a dark blue silk chiffon. It closes at the side with a zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
• Tagged a vintage YSL 42
• Excellent condition

Sleeves: approx 18" from the dropped shoulder and they are 12" around the upper arm.
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam across the top of the hips: 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 30" from top of centre neckline to front hem and 36" to back hem including the ruffle

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD5643

Reference Photos: Fall 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.

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.