1980 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Floral Print Shirtwaister Dress

This runway documented silk wrap dress is from the spring /summer 1980 ready to wear collection by Yves Saint Laurent. The painterly floral print is contrasted by a check at the collar, cuffs and hem - all of which are decadently ruffled. The colour palette is indicative of the label’s signatures at the time; rich mustard, burgundy and cerulean hues. There is a tie across the bust, a singular tonal blue button closes each cuff and the waist is secured with Jupe-fix clasps. Of note, there are two waist fixtures; the first will ensure the dress is a true wrap style, while the second is looser and so the dress will be closed but not a wrap. The new owner could actually fix these clasps at any point along the waistline to accommodate their own measurements. A removable, coordinating fabric belt wraps around the waist; this differs from the runway version in that the floral print has been used instead of the check pattern. The label reads “Saint Laurent Rive Gauche”, a reference to Paris’s younger and trendier left bank.

This dress is in excellent vintage condition with no issues and only gentle signs of wear noted over its 40+ year life. As Vogue wrote in the 1970s of this hit dress silhouette, “don’t you know that every girl in her right mind is going to jump at it?”. Labelled a French size 40, this is suited to sizes UK 10-12 or US 6-8.

MEASUREMENTS
Bust - 38 in. ( 96.5 cm)
Small Waist - 26 in. (66 cm)
Bigger Waist - 31 in. (79 cm)
Hip - 41 in. (104 cm)
Shoulder - 15 in. (38 cm)
Length- 44 in. (111.7cm)