Skirt Suit and Scarf
ca. 1954 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Black and white tweed suits were popular throughout the 1950s. In August 1954, American Vogue magazine announced that 'this Autumn without question the smart woman's place is in tweed'. This stylish outfit was worn by Mrs Opal Holt. The designer stated that he intended it to be worn over a discreetly checked blouse at the races. Mrs Holt's extensive wardrobe of fashionable dress donated to the Museum ranges from the 1930s to the 1970s. Over 100 items - day and evening wear together with accessories - represent her acquired taste. Mrs Holt bought her clothes in London, Paris and New York, and the collection features works by many famous designers, including Dior, Balenciaga and Givenchy.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Tweed lined with silk velvet and half-lining of crêpe de Chine, plastic |
| Brief description | Chesterfield skirt suit consisting of a jacket and skirt in Donegal tweed with scarf, designed by Digby Morton, London, ca. 1954 |
| Physical description | Chesterfield skirt suit consisting of a jacket and skirt in Donegal tweed with scarf. |
| Dimensions | Approx. size 12 (English) |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Gallery label | 'Chesterfield' jacket, skirt and scarf
Digby Morton (1906-83)
London
About 1954
Digby Morton's 'Chesterfield' suit was named after the velvet-collared coats worn by the fashion-conscious Earl of Chesterfield in the 1830s and 1840s. Black-and-white checks were the height of fashion in 1954. Morton advised Mrs Holt that this ensemble was ideal to wear at the races.
Donegal tweed with velvet
Worn by Mrs Opal Holt and given by Mrs Haynes and Mrs Clark
V&A: T.101&A, B-1982(22/09/2007) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs D.M. Haynes and Mrs M. Clark |
| Object history | Opal Holt was born in Canada in 1887 but lived in the US until the end of the Second World War. She travelled extensively between the wars and was in the first plane to land in Bali. She married Herbert Holt, a Canadian who lived a large part of his life in England, as her third husband in 1946. They came to England and Europe every summer and Opal Holt began buying clothes in Paris for her life in England, and for the Bahamas in Winter, over a period of about thirty years. She died in 1980. Given by Mrs D.M Haynes and Mrs. Clark (nee Holt; Opal Holt's step-daughters). |
| Production | Grosvenor Hill, London |
| Summary | Black and white tweed suits were popular throughout the 1950s. In August 1954, American Vogue magazine announced that 'this Autumn without question the smart woman's place is in tweed'. This stylish outfit was worn by Mrs Opal Holt. The designer stated that he intended it to be worn over a discreetly checked blouse at the races. Mrs Holt's extensive wardrobe of fashionable dress donated to the Museum ranges from the 1930s to the 1970s. Over 100 items - day and evening wear together with accessories - represent her acquired taste. Mrs Holt bought her clothes in London, Paris and New York, and the collection features works by many famous designers, including Dior, Balenciaga and Givenchy. |
| Bibliographic reference | de la Haye, A., 'Material Evidence' in Wilcox, C., ed., The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 (V&A Publications: 2007), p.94 & pl.4.4 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.101 to B-1982 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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