Skirt Suit
1954 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This suit comprises a fitted jacket and slim-fitting skirt with a kick pleat at the back. It was shown in Balenciaga's Winter collection in 1954 as model no. 55. It reveals Balenciaga’s debt to his training in tailoring in Spain and his capacity for choosing fabrics fit for purpose. His suits were highly regarded and commanded high prices. In the early 1950s, a made-to-measure woollen suit from Balenciaga cost about £112, a sum well beyond the reach of most consumers.
He was adept at manipulating firm fabrics. The style of jacket relies for effect on careful fitting to the body in front and gentle fullness at the back, and in the setting of the sleeves. Balenciaga was renowned in the trade for inspecting and resetting sleeves that were not perfect.
Tweed was a sturdy woollen fabric that appealed to Balenciaga because of the optical illusions created by the two or more colours in the indistinct flecked pattern.
He was adept at manipulating firm fabrics. The style of jacket relies for effect on careful fitting to the body in front and gentle fullness at the back, and in the setting of the sleeves. Balenciaga was renowned in the trade for inspecting and resetting sleeves that were not perfect.
Tweed was a sturdy woollen fabric that appealed to Balenciaga because of the optical illusions created by the two or more colours in the indistinct flecked pattern.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Tweed lined with silk |
| Brief description | Jacket and skirt of tweed lined with silk, designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Paris, 1954 |
| Physical description | Jacket and skirt of black and white tweed lined with silk. The suit is comprised of a fitted jacket with magyar sleeves and a slim-fitting skirt with a kick pleat at the back. The skirt is comprised of four panels gathered into the waistband. The hems are machine stitched but other details are completed by hand. The hems are only turned once and the raw edges are bound with silk chiffon and blind stitched into place. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| 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). |
| Summary | This suit comprises a fitted jacket and slim-fitting skirt with a kick pleat at the back. It was shown in Balenciaga's Winter collection in 1954 as model no. 55. It reveals Balenciaga’s debt to his training in tailoring in Spain and his capacity for choosing fabrics fit for purpose. His suits were highly regarded and commanded high prices. In the early 1950s, a made-to-measure woollen suit from Balenciaga cost about £112, a sum well beyond the reach of most consumers. He was adept at manipulating firm fabrics. The style of jacket relies for effect on careful fitting to the body in front and gentle fullness at the back, and in the setting of the sleeves. Balenciaga was renowned in the trade for inspecting and resetting sleeves that were not perfect. Tweed was a sturdy woollen fabric that appealed to Balenciaga because of the optical illusions created by the two or more colours in the indistinct flecked pattern. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 49243 - Number on label |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.128&A-1982 |
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| Record created | December 5, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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