Skirt Suit
1959 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This classic suit was ordered by American actor Lauren Bacall (1924–2014) from Chanel’s Spring Summer 1959 collection. Bacall was photographed wearing it in July 1959 at London Airport (now Heathrow), alongside her children, about to board a plane to Biarritz for their family holiday. Chanel’s coveted suits proved to be the outfit of choice for many, being comfortable and chic in equal measure. They appear to have been a favourite of Bacall’s when she was travelling in this period: she was photographed at the same airport just two months earlier, on return from shooting her latest film, wearing a similar Chanel suit in a checked tweed. The slim, straight-cut jacket with simple stand collar created a sleek silhouette on Bacall. The vertical opening of the flap pockets was a point of difference from other Chanel suits that season. Subtle beige undertones running through the rose-pink tweed complement the sleeveless printed silk blouse. Bacall wore it with a flower in her top buttonhole and a pair of white gloves.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | wool tweed, printed silk |
| Brief description | Skirt suit of dusky pink wool with metal lion's head motif buttons, Gabrielle Chanel for CHANEL, Paris, France. Spring Summer 1959 |
| Physical description | Classic Chanel suit, jacket and skirt in pink and beige flecked tweed, hip-length straight-cut boxy jacket which tapers slightly at the hips; narrow band collar and small square patch pockets at hips. Long straight sleeves with cuff buttons. The collar edges and pocket flaps are reinforced with rows of machine topstitching. Gilt buttons with lions' head motifs. The jacket is lined in brown and cream dogtooth checked silk, the straight-cut skirt in pink silk. There is an inset pocket in the skirt with a concave slit bound in the brown and cream checked silk; the waistband of the skirt is also covered in the same silk. Two zippers in skirt side seams. The blouse is made from the same brown and cream checked silk as the jacket lining and skirt waistband, with a low round neckline dipping to a V in the back, with self covered buttons in the back. The blouse is sleeveless with a flat bow of the same fabric in the front. |
| Production type | Haute couture |
| Marks and inscriptions | Chanel (Label) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries, New York |
| Object history | This suit was worn by the film actor Lauren Bacall (b. 1924) and donated by her in about 1968 to the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries, New York. The institution subsequently passed this suit on to the V&A. |
| Association | |
| Summary | This classic suit was ordered by American actor Lauren Bacall (1924–2014) from Chanel’s Spring Summer 1959 collection. Bacall was photographed wearing it in July 1959 at London Airport (now Heathrow), alongside her children, about to board a plane to Biarritz for their family holiday. Chanel’s coveted suits proved to be the outfit of choice for many, being comfortable and chic in equal measure. They appear to have been a favourite of Bacall’s when she was travelling in this period: she was photographed at the same airport just two months earlier, on return from shooting her latest film, wearing a similar Chanel suit in a checked tweed. The slim, straight-cut jacket with simple stand collar created a sleek silhouette on Bacall. The vertical opening of the flap pockets was a point of difference from other Chanel suits that season. Subtle beige undertones running through the rose-pink tweed complement the sleeveless printed silk blouse. Bacall wore it with a flower in her top buttonhole and a pair of white gloves. |
| Bibliographic reference | Cullen, Oriole and Karol Burks, Connie. "Gabrielle Chanel". London: V&A Publishing, 2023
p 211
Paris haute couture maintained an undeniable pull for the international follower of fashion in the 1950s. Hollywood actors were among those making frequent trips to select salons in the French capital to acquire the latest styles for their red-carpet-worthy wardrobes. This classic suit was ordered by American actor Lauren Bacall (1924–2014) from Chanel’s Spring/Summer 1959 collection. Bacall was photographed wearing it in July 1959 at London Airport (now Heathrow), alongside her children, about to board a plane to Biarritz for their family holiday. The expectation for women in the public eye to be immaculately wellpresented and photo-ready at any moment meant that even on personal errands Hollywood’s stars had to live up to their glamorous personas. Chanel’s coveted suits proved to be the outfit of choice for many, being comfortable and chic in equal measure. They appear to have been a favourite of Bacall’s when she was travelling in this period: she was photographed at the same airport just two months earlier, on return from shooting her latest film, wearing a similar Chanel suit in a checked tweed. The slim, straight-cut jacket with simple stand collar created a sleek silhouette on Bacall. The vertical opening of the fl ap pockets was a point of diff erence from other Chanel suits that season. Subtle beige undertones running through the rose-pink tweed complement the sleeveless printed silk blouse. Bacall wore it with a fl ower in her top buttonhole and a pair of white gloves. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.11, A to B-1971 |
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| Record created | June 12, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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