yves saint laurent

1981 Yves Saint Laurent Embroidered Silk Taffeta Full Maxi Skirt

In an amazing testament to construction and pure joy of form, this extravagant full length skirt by Yves Saint Laurent is perfection. The skirt is made of a rich combination of a black silk taffeta that has a scattering of little embellishments that to me look like little flames. Each of these are individually embroidered into the fabric with a coral red edging and a metallic gold thread center. These cover the surface of the skirt quite extensively and it is only as you get closer that you realize what those little pops of color represent. At the hem a dramatic flounce of ruffle made from the same fabric is the perfect finish. The waist is banded and cinched and it has an extremely long matching tie sash belt attached, that you can wrap, tie as you wish, and cinch the waist in even more. The skirt has yards and yards of fabric in it so is very full and you gets lots of lovely volume when you move. At the same time his genius cutting abilities make you look lean and long even when you are standing still. At one point, I had a similar skirt to this in the shop that was from roughly the same time period and that one had its original price tag still. It was originally over $6k. This would have been similarly priced I am sure. This is a key look that had repercussions through all of Yves decades of work and a rare and important find.  Excellent condition

Unlined and closes with a side zipper and flat hook and eye at the waist. One pocket along the hip opposite to the zipper. Tagged a vintage YSL 40. It looks to have been worn very little if at all.

Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 44" from waist to hem
The sash is attached on one side of the waist only and it measures 4" wide and is almost 9' long

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# S865

Reference Photos: (1) Model in Yves Saint Laurent, L’Officiel, August 1981. Photographed by Claus Ohm.  /  (2) Model in Yves Saint Laurent, L'Officiel, August 1981. Photographed by J-F du Sel des Monts.  /  (3-4) Fall/Winter 1981 Yves Saint Laurent Runway.  /  (5-7) Cherie, Owner of Shrimpton Couture.

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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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.

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