yves saint laurent

Fall 1979 Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Blue Silk Harlequin Print Dress w Ruffled Cuffs

  • This dress is from the Fall 1979 Haute Couture Yves Saint Laurent collection.
  • It was made under the creative direction Yves Saint Laurent.
  • The 1979 collection was an a homage to Picasso and Diaghilev. Yves had been to an exhibit on Picasso costume and set designs for Diaghilev's ballet Russes. At the time he told French Vogue that he had been on a different path entirely for the collection but then he saw the exhibition and "my collection took on the structure of a ballet. I embroidered on Picasso, on a slightly soft cubism, on harlequin, the Blue Period, the Pink. It's best when in inspiration comes! You no longer have any doubt, you get on with it, you feel an immense joy!"
  • You can see that inspiration of the harlequin especially on the pattern of this dress. We found several runway examples where he used the same pattern and added those here. This pattern was a significant part of the collection.
  • I snapped the sketch that is closest to this piece from my YSL folio that contains all the drawings from the collection and some shots to show that he used this particular print in several colours including the blue of this dress. 
  • The dress would have been made completely by hand in the Paris atelier.
  • It is made out of a beautiful silk that is scarf weight so is very light and easy to wear. It has a secondary pattern within the weave in the same blue and then it is printed with that black design leaving the blue to show between. 
  • The collar is neat and done in the same silk. The silk of the bodice is gathered in around it for a added detailing and it closes at the back of the neck above a small keyhole. 
  • The shoulders are soft and the top of each sleeve gathers into the shoulder. They narrow down to cuffed wrists that ends in a ruffle made of the same silk.
  • The cut through the body is loose and easy and it has the slightest bit of narrowing inwards as it nears the hem. 
  • The more generous cut through the body makes it easy to wear. You have the option of wearing it loose or adding a belt to cinch it in and add shape around the waist. I photoed it both of those ways with an added black rope belt. 
  • The perfect finishing touch are the little slits on either side of the skirt. These allow for movement when you move and gives you ease of walking plus a little bit of extra leg to show.
  • This is a superb piece of Couture and is an early example of his work.
  • The dress is unlined and slips over the head to wear with a single button at the back of the neck above a keyhole. Each cuff buttons to close. It is entirely made by hand. The belt is not original to the dress but will be included. The appropriate Haute Couture label is present.
  • There is no size tag present because it is true Couture. Please go by the measurements listed below.
  • Excellent condition

Sleeves: 23.5" and they are 15" around the upper arm. The neck is 13" around. The cuffs are 6" around where the button is presently but could be opened and the button moved to get 7".
Slightly inset shoulders: 14"
Bust: to 19.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Total length: 36.5" from neck to hem. Each side slit is 9" from the hem up

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD5821

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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.

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