Sold Archive
1980s Pierre Balmain Haute Couture Linen Monochrome Coat Dress
This piece has been sold and is preserved here as part of the Circa Vintage archive. It is no longer available to purchase.
A sophisticated 1980s haute couture mid-length dress cut from black linen by Pierre Balmain circa 1984-1986. Made by hand in France, it is tailored with a cross-over front and off-kilter hook-and-eye fastening that gives it the appearance of a wrap-dress - a silhouette popular during this decade. Polka-dots have long been a signature of the Balmain fashion house. In 1982, after Pierre Balmain’s death, Erik Mortensen took over as creative director and continued to design couture with the founder’s trademarks. White-on-black spots line the front and appear at the turned-up cuffs. Three tonal buttons secure the front.
This dress is in excellent condition with the original labels intact. This piece doesn't have a size label so please check the measurements below. There is a hand-written label inside the waistband that reads "robe de cocktail en socoa noir doublée de toile de soie noire à pois blancs" (cocktail dress in black socoa lined with black silk canvas with white polka dots). It is annotated "76" which probably denotes a runway look, and is stamped with a Pierre Balmain stamp. Runway footage from the earlier part of the 1980s is patchy and we've haven't yet been able to attribute to a particular collection. The dress would best fit around a UK 8-10, US 4-6.
MEASUREMENTS
Bust - 38 in. (97 cm)
Waist - 30 in. (76 cm)
Hip - 41 in. (104 cm)
Length - 46 in. (117 cm)
Shoulders - 17 in. (43 cm)