This little Yves Saint Laurent dress has such a joyful feel to it. I am always excited to find examples of Yves' work from this time period and this one is extra special because it is the twin of the dress that was shown on the 1983 runway. We also found a editorial shot from that season with the same dress in a solid colour that was shot for L'Officiel magazine. I love the solid colour version as well but the printed one just has so much colour and joy to it I can't help but love it a little more. 

This is a gorgeous little day dress that you could easily style to work into the evening, especially during the warmer months. The colours are amazing and absolutely pop off of the cotton fabric that he chose for this dress. Cotton takes colour extremely well and it is the perfect choice to get these crisp vibrant tones. It also holds the shape well so that the dress has volume where Yves wanted it. Yves Saint Laurent was a master at choosing the fabrics that were the perfect compliment to the prints that he used. This dress is no exception to that rule with its riot of bright flowers covering its surface. The cut is pure Yves and a wonderful example of the work he was doing during this time period. The sleeves end just below the elbow and are cut with a full balloon sleeve pouf above their wide and easy elastic cuffs. The bodice is fitted with a V neckline at the front. The upper portion of the bodice is done in the same floral fabric as the sleeves and skirt but he then inset a blue fabric to define the waist and visually cinch it in. He then plays with proportion by adding a blue cotton peplum that runs all the way around the hips and flares outwards. Below that the skirt flares out with a pretty swing feel. The combination of the prints and the cut is genius. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and zips to close at the side. It is tagged a vintage YSL 36. It appears to have been worn very little if at all but there is some fading to the tops of the curves on the peplum. You notice it more when it is off the body and laying flat but not when on. Please see the photo after the label shot. 

Sleeves: 19"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Skirt: 25" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3653

Reference Photo: (1) S/S 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Runway.  /  (2) Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, L'Officiel, 1983.

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

Yves play on the tuxedo and 'Le Smoking' suit is one of his most famous hallmarks. He first presented the now famous suit in 1966. His play on traditional menswear is lauded by many as 'having empowered women by giving them the option to wear clothes that were normally worn by men with influence and power'. This is a stunning example from the Rive Gauche collection of 1992. It was captured on Beverly Peele backstage at the show and you can see in that photo how stunning this is on.

This one has a full length skirt in a rich silk that beautifully balances the cut of the jacket. Yves did variations of this suit every season for both his Couture and Rive Gauche presentations and mixed the play on a men's tuxedo jacket with skirts and pants of varying lengths and cuts. They were shaped and tweaked by Yves to be immensely flattering on the female body. I love this more formal full length skirt version and the fact that you can mix and match the pieces. That combined with the sequins on the jacket make the suit feel so bold and yet still elegant and refined in feel. The jacket is tailored with a sleek cut that follows the curves of the body. It has his signature matte satin tuxedo collar. Yves produced many versions of this suit over the years but what I find remarkable is that each version is distinct in how it closes at the front and the way that the collar is shaped. This one has one over-sized faceted and glossy jet button below that amazing collar. Two flap pockets are top set on the hips and the shoulders are sharp and perfectly padded. The entire jacket except for the collar was then covered in a dense application of glossy black sequins. This catches the light and is fabulous in person. The skirt is cut in a long column of the same silk used for the collar of the jacket. It falls to the floor in a long and lean line and there are pockets hidden on each hip. His suits change the way we approach woman's wear and any example of the Le Smoking version is collectible. They are a particularly wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was and vision for a woman's place in the world. This is an important piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Both pieces are lined in a black silk. The jacket has a single button at the front to close. The skirt has a zipper and hook & eye at the waist with pockets on each hip. Two pockets on the jacket that still have most of their original tacking to keep them closed. Padding in each shoulder It looks to have been worn very little if at all. The jacket is tagged a 36 and the skirt has no size tag present.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Padded shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from neck to hem at the front, 22 at the back

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 43.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3624

Reference Photo: Beverly Peele wearing Yves Saint Laurent. Photo by Roxanne Lowit, 1992. (As seen in the book "Roxanne Lowit Photographs Yves Saint Laurent".

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

This is a fantastic piece by Yves Saint Laurent that manages to feel refined and chic, yet very bold at the same time. This is a piece that would have been produced in the early 1970s and shows all the hallmarks of his work during this time period. The body of the sweater is made of a wool mix and I love how it blends a deep rusty red with a darker taupe colour. This gives the piece a very chic country feel. It is cut to cut long and straight through the body with no waist so that it creates a simple line that stops at the top of the hips. If you wanted more shape you could easily belt it. Front pockets sit low on the front on eithor side of the buttons. The buttons themselves are round and thick and are a deep charcoal meant to highlight the fur trim. The fur circles around the tops of each arm and is a soft and supple black fox. This adds unexpected volume to the top. This came from a woman who was very fashionable and regularly bought couture and high end and her pieces were well stored. Excellent condition  

Unlined and closes down the front with the buttons you see. Tagged medium. The pockets at the front are shallow but functional. There is the slightest of wear to the edges of the fur but I am being extremely picky. 

Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust-hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S926

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur pieces are final sale.

This dress comes directly from the original couture client and is an exceptional example of Laurent's Haute Couture work that he was doing during this time period. Finding pieces from this time period in such wonderful condition is a rarity and I am very pleased to have this beautiful dress in the shop. I did extensive research on this one and though I found some similar references from a couple of collections that dated to the same time period that my client's mother as shopping at, I was unable to find any photo of this exact dress. There was a similar lace used in both the Fall 1885 and Fall 1986 collections (which historically was a bit avant garge for the time period as lace had not been seen in couture for some time at that point). Similar colour combination were seen in the Fall of 1989 and for the Fall of 1991. The 1991 collection also features a couple of laces that were similar and that clue, combined with the colour usual for that collection and the number on the label makes me feel that it is most likely dates to 1991. This is also in line with the years that she was actively buying couture. She was a good enough client that there is a high possibility that this was a one-off that was made just for her and is the only one like it made. It is very beautiful and made more towards his aesthetic where he made the dresses to be very tailored and structure as opposed to his opposite side when he did pieces that were more along a drape and flow construction. This is a a dress that truly needs an actual body in to to come to life. It is extraordinary 

The bodice of the dress is highly structured and the choice of silk taffeta allows Yves to mold and shape the sleeves and bodice like sculpture. It is cut to be worn completely off the shoulder so that you get that full bare expanse of skin. A wide band of a deep fuchsia pink silk taffeta, that has a touch of a purple undertone to it, runs across the top of the bodice and then extends down to form each sleeve. He has manipulated and gathered the fabric into folds along the entire length of each arm. The remainder of the bodice is also constructed from a silk taffeta but this time in deep burnt copper that has a touch of a metallic glow to its finish. This too is gathered along each side so that there are soft pleats that lay across and around you. I love how the eye gathers feel cohesive from the body to the arms but the colour gives contrast and the gathers are set slightly different so that you have a slight change in how the texture feels. The skirt comes out from the waist and is a very formal feeling skirt that is attached into the waist with soft pleats that open up to allow it to be quite wide by the time it reaches the hem. The underskirt part is a beautiful rich purple. The purple silk is then covered in a layer of black French lace that has a stunning floral design set within medallions. These run over the lace and are repeated throughout to create the beautiful pattern that you see. I love that the bottom edge of the lace follows the curving shape of the design that is in the lace. His finishing touch is done with a wide silk ribbon in a bright green that wraps and ties around the waist. I love this unusual colour combination. You could also easily wear it without the sash or change it for a more structure belt to add more shape. It is very elegant and yet the bare shoulders add a touch of sexiness. I very much love this side of his work where he works within a strong, shaped silhouette and then created a gown to his exact intentions. Excellent condition 

Fully lined through the bodice in a fine black silk satin. There is a built in silk covered elastic that is attached and wired right between the breast for a slight bit of support and then wraps around you and hooks to close. It closes with a side set zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. There is a series of snaps above the zipper that run under the arm seam so it opens enough to get into it. Each sleeve zips to close at the wrist. The exterior layer of the skirt closes with its own a hand set side zipper. The silk ribbon belt is tacked into place on either side of the waist. On the interior of the skirt at the inner waist the fabric has been folded down and it looks like it would be possible to lengthen the skirt from there by just about 4" but the side skirt zipper would need to be reset if you did that. There is perhaps a touch of dusting on the fabric on the folds under each arm. So minor I am just being crazy picky because it is couture. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques.

Sleeves: 20" from where they start off the shoulder 
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 54" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3598

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

This incredible dress is from the Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture collection and its twin walked the runway that season. The collection was lauded by the press. Marie Claire said 'Faithful to himself, Yves Saint Laurent has once again surpassed himself, without ever betraying the clean look that has become his signature.' The New York Times review by Cathryn Horn noted that the show was attended by ladies such as Nan Kempner who sat just a few chairs away from Catherine Deneuve and Lauren Bacall. Nan was seen in the audience saying 'fabulous' as the dresses paraded past. The Times review included remarks on all of the couture shows that season and said that the 'day belonged to Saint Laurent'. They also noted that "There have been a lot of Saint Laurent shows in recent years when nothing clicked and you thought, 'Okay, this is as good as it's going to get.' But the thing one realized the other day was how vast and deep are Mr. Saint Laurent's reserves of creativity compared with those of other, younger designers who blow themselves out early and then spend the next 10 or 15 years splashing around in the same puddle." This dress is exceptional and a rare piece from one of his final collections. That same NYT article also noted that during this time period, couture dresses had a start cost of $50,000 ($75k in modern dollars), and went up from there. This dress is sourced from the original couture client.  

The dress is exquisite and I love that you can see just how wonderful it is on the body from the runway reference photos that I have found for you. It is made from an inky black silk velvet with inset panels around the skirt. The sleeves are long and straight and the dress is cut to sit fully off the shoulders. This allows your entire upper shoulders to show. It skims over the body and the velvet lies over a fully built in inner corseting that gives support and keeps the dress perfectly in place. This inner corset is fully boned and closes with its own separate zipper. The dress skims over the body with vertical seaming all around for each panel that the dress is made up of. It is meant to sit so that your shoes show from under the skirt and this length also gives the skirt the best possible length to show off its fullness and the ingenious insets all around the skirt. Just below the hips he has inset panels that are made from knife pleated black silk netting. The are set in in such a way that each is very full. The result is that you get a stunning bit of volume through the lower skirts as these flare out around you and move when you move. They have a touch of transparency to them so you get a suggestion of leg showing as you walk. A wide silk satin ties at the waist for the perfect finish. Yves once said of the colour black "I love black because it affirms, designs, and styles. A woman in a black dress is a pencil stroke". The dress looks to have been unworn or worn very little and was sourced form the original couture client. Excellent condition  

The outer velvet layer is fully interlined in a fine black silk satin. The built in corset is boned and shaped. It closes with its own zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. The exterior layer closes with a hand set zipper. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The silk ribbon belt is not original to the dress. It appears to have been unworn or worn very little

Sleeves: 22"
Inner bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 56" from natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3586

Reference Photos: Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway.

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

This little Yves Saint Laurent dress has such a joyful feel to it. I am always excited to find examples of Yves' work from this time period and this one is extra special because it is the twin of the dress that was shown on the 1983 runway. We also found a editorial shot from that season with the same dress in a solid colour that was shot for L'Officiel magazine. I love the solid colour version as well but the printed one just has so much colour and joy to it I can't help but love it a little more. 

This is a gorgeous little day dress that you could easily style to work into the evening, especially during the warmer months. The colours are amazing and absolutely pop off of the cotton fabric that he chose for this dress. Cotton takes colour extremely well and it is the perfect choice to get these crisp vibrant tones. It also holds the shape well so that the dress has volume where Yves wanted it. Yves Saint Laurent was a master at choosing the fabrics that were the perfect compliment to the prints that he used. This dress is no exception to that rule with its riot of bright flowers covering its surface. The cut is pure Yves and a wonderful example of the work he was doing during this time period. The sleeves end just below the elbow and are cut with a full balloon sleeve pouf above their wide and easy elastic cuffs. The bodice is fitted with a V neckline at the front. The upper portion of the bodice is done in the same floral fabric as the sleeves and skirt but he then inset a blue fabric to define the waist and visually cinch it in. He then plays with proportion by adding a blue cotton peplum that runs all the way around the hips and flares outwards. Below that the skirt flares out with a pretty swing feel. The combination of the prints and the cut is genius. Excellent condition with a minor note below

Unlined and zips to close at the side. It is tagged a vintage YSL 36. It appears to have been worn very little if at all but there is some fading to the tops of the curves on the peplum. You notice it more when it is off the body and laying flat but not when on. Please see the photo after the label shot. 

Sleeves: 19"
Shoulders: 14"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 15" from neck to waist
Skirt: 25" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3653

Reference Photo: (1) S/S 1983 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Runway.  /  (2) Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, L'Officiel, 1983.

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

Yves play on the tuxedo and 'Le Smoking' suit is one of his most famous hallmarks. He first presented the now famous suit in 1966. His play on traditional menswear is lauded by many as 'having empowered women by giving them the option to wear clothes that were normally worn by men with influence and power'. This is a stunning example from the Rive Gauche collection of 1992. It was captured on Beverly Peele backstage at the show and you can see in that photo how stunning this is on.

This one has a full length skirt in a rich silk that beautifully balances the cut of the jacket. Yves did variations of this suit every season for both his Couture and Rive Gauche presentations and mixed the play on a men's tuxedo jacket with skirts and pants of varying lengths and cuts. They were shaped and tweaked by Yves to be immensely flattering on the female body. I love this more formal full length skirt version and the fact that you can mix and match the pieces. That combined with the sequins on the jacket make the suit feel so bold and yet still elegant and refined in feel. The jacket is tailored with a sleek cut that follows the curves of the body. It has his signature matte satin tuxedo collar. Yves produced many versions of this suit over the years but what I find remarkable is that each version is distinct in how it closes at the front and the way that the collar is shaped. This one has one over-sized faceted and glossy jet button below that amazing collar. Two flap pockets are top set on the hips and the shoulders are sharp and perfectly padded. The entire jacket except for the collar was then covered in a dense application of glossy black sequins. This catches the light and is fabulous in person. The skirt is cut in a long column of the same silk used for the collar of the jacket. It falls to the floor in a long and lean line and there are pockets hidden on each hip. His suits change the way we approach woman's wear and any example of the Le Smoking version is collectible. They are a particularly wonderful example of how strong his tailoring was and vision for a woman's place in the world. This is an important piece of fashion history. Excellent condition

Both pieces are lined in a black silk. The jacket has a single button at the front to close. The skirt has a zipper and hook & eye at the waist with pockets on each hip. Two pockets on the jacket that still have most of their original tacking to keep them closed. Padding in each shoulder It looks to have been worn very little if at all. The jacket is tagged a 36 and the skirt has no size tag present.

Jacket
Sleeves: 24"
Padded shoulders: 16"
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 23" from neck to hem at the front, 22 at the back

Skirt
Waist: 12.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 43.5" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3624

Reference Photo: Beverly Peele wearing Yves Saint Laurent. Photo by Roxanne Lowit, 1992. (As seen in the book "Roxanne Lowit Photographs Yves Saint Laurent".

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

This is a fantastic piece by Yves Saint Laurent that manages to feel refined and chic, yet very bold at the same time. This is a piece that would have been produced in the early 1970s and shows all the hallmarks of his work during this time period. The body of the sweater is made of a wool mix and I love how it blends a deep rusty red with a darker taupe colour. This gives the piece a very chic country feel. It is cut to cut long and straight through the body with no waist so that it creates a simple line that stops at the top of the hips. If you wanted more shape you could easily belt it. Front pockets sit low on the front on eithor side of the buttons. The buttons themselves are round and thick and are a deep charcoal meant to highlight the fur trim. The fur circles around the tops of each arm and is a soft and supple black fox. This adds unexpected volume to the top. This came from a woman who was very fashionable and regularly bought couture and high end and her pieces were well stored. Excellent condition  

Unlined and closes down the front with the buttons you see. Tagged medium. The pockets at the front are shallow but functional. There is the slightest of wear to the edges of the fur but I am being extremely picky. 

Slightly dropped shoulders: 17"
Bust-hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 28" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S926

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur pieces are final sale.

This dress comes directly from the original couture client and is an exceptional example of Laurent's Haute Couture work that he was doing during this time period. Finding pieces from this time period in such wonderful condition is a rarity and I am very pleased to have this beautiful dress in the shop. I did extensive research on this one and though I found some similar references from a couple of collections that dated to the same time period that my client's mother as shopping at, I was unable to find any photo of this exact dress. There was a similar lace used in both the Fall 1885 and Fall 1986 collections (which historically was a bit avant garge for the time period as lace had not been seen in couture for some time at that point). Similar colour combination were seen in the Fall of 1989 and for the Fall of 1991. The 1991 collection also features a couple of laces that were similar and that clue, combined with the colour usual for that collection and the number on the label makes me feel that it is most likely dates to 1991. This is also in line with the years that she was actively buying couture. She was a good enough client that there is a high possibility that this was a one-off that was made just for her and is the only one like it made. It is very beautiful and made more towards his aesthetic where he made the dresses to be very tailored and structure as opposed to his opposite side when he did pieces that were more along a drape and flow construction. This is a a dress that truly needs an actual body in to to come to life. It is extraordinary 

The bodice of the dress is highly structured and the choice of silk taffeta allows Yves to mold and shape the sleeves and bodice like sculpture. It is cut to be worn completely off the shoulder so that you get that full bare expanse of skin. A wide band of a deep fuchsia pink silk taffeta, that has a touch of a purple undertone to it, runs across the top of the bodice and then extends down to form each sleeve. He has manipulated and gathered the fabric into folds along the entire length of each arm. The remainder of the bodice is also constructed from a silk taffeta but this time in deep burnt copper that has a touch of a metallic glow to its finish. This too is gathered along each side so that there are soft pleats that lay across and around you. I love how the eye gathers feel cohesive from the body to the arms but the colour gives contrast and the gathers are set slightly different so that you have a slight change in how the texture feels. The skirt comes out from the waist and is a very formal feeling skirt that is attached into the waist with soft pleats that open up to allow it to be quite wide by the time it reaches the hem. The underskirt part is a beautiful rich purple. The purple silk is then covered in a layer of black French lace that has a stunning floral design set within medallions. These run over the lace and are repeated throughout to create the beautiful pattern that you see. I love that the bottom edge of the lace follows the curving shape of the design that is in the lace. His finishing touch is done with a wide silk ribbon in a bright green that wraps and ties around the waist. I love this unusual colour combination. You could also easily wear it without the sash or change it for a more structure belt to add more shape. It is very elegant and yet the bare shoulders add a touch of sexiness. I very much love this side of his work where he works within a strong, shaped silhouette and then created a gown to his exact intentions. Excellent condition 

Fully lined through the bodice in a fine black silk satin. There is a built in silk covered elastic that is attached and wired right between the breast for a slight bit of support and then wraps around you and hooks to close. It closes with a side set zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. There is a series of snaps above the zipper that run under the arm seam so it opens enough to get into it. Each sleeve zips to close at the wrist. The exterior layer of the skirt closes with its own a hand set side zipper. The silk ribbon belt is tacked into place on either side of the waist. On the interior of the skirt at the inner waist the fabric has been folded down and it looks like it would be possible to lengthen the skirt from there by just about 4" but the side skirt zipper would need to be reset if you did that. There is perhaps a touch of dusting on the fabric on the folds under each arm. So minor I am just being crazy picky because it is couture. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques.

Sleeves: 20" from where they start off the shoulder 
Bust: to 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 13.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 54" from top of bodice to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3598

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

This incredible dress is from the Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture collection and its twin walked the runway that season. The collection was lauded by the press. Marie Claire said 'Faithful to himself, Yves Saint Laurent has once again surpassed himself, without ever betraying the clean look that has become his signature.' The New York Times review by Cathryn Horn noted that the show was attended by ladies such as Nan Kempner who sat just a few chairs away from Catherine Deneuve and Lauren Bacall. Nan was seen in the audience saying 'fabulous' as the dresses paraded past. The Times review included remarks on all of the couture shows that season and said that the 'day belonged to Saint Laurent'. They also noted that "There have been a lot of Saint Laurent shows in recent years when nothing clicked and you thought, 'Okay, this is as good as it's going to get.' But the thing one realized the other day was how vast and deep are Mr. Saint Laurent's reserves of creativity compared with those of other, younger designers who blow themselves out early and then spend the next 10 or 15 years splashing around in the same puddle." This dress is exceptional and a rare piece from one of his final collections. That same NYT article also noted that during this time period, couture dresses had a start cost of $50,000 ($75k in modern dollars), and went up from there. This dress is sourced from the original couture client.  

The dress is exquisite and I love that you can see just how wonderful it is on the body from the runway reference photos that I have found for you. It is made from an inky black silk velvet with inset panels around the skirt. The sleeves are long and straight and the dress is cut to sit fully off the shoulders. This allows your entire upper shoulders to show. It skims over the body and the velvet lies over a fully built in inner corseting that gives support and keeps the dress perfectly in place. This inner corset is fully boned and closes with its own separate zipper. The dress skims over the body with vertical seaming all around for each panel that the dress is made up of. It is meant to sit so that your shoes show from under the skirt and this length also gives the skirt the best possible length to show off its fullness and the ingenious insets all around the skirt. Just below the hips he has inset panels that are made from knife pleated black silk netting. The are set in in such a way that each is very full. The result is that you get a stunning bit of volume through the lower skirts as these flare out around you and move when you move. They have a touch of transparency to them so you get a suggestion of leg showing as you walk. A wide silk satin ties at the waist for the perfect finish. Yves once said of the colour black "I love black because it affirms, designs, and styles. A woman in a black dress is a pencil stroke". The dress looks to have been unworn or worn very little and was sourced form the original couture client. Excellent condition  

The outer velvet layer is fully interlined in a fine black silk satin. The built in corset is boned and shaped. It closes with its own zipper and has an inner waist stay that hooks to close. The exterior layer closes with a hand set zipper. Done with Haute Couture construction techniques. The silk ribbon belt is not original to the dress. It appears to have been unworn or worn very little

Sleeves: 22"
Inner bust: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: approx 56" from natural shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3586

Reference Photos: Fall 2000 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Runway.

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