Tuesday 31 December 2013


This is an undated Ben Zuckerman suit in grey. The skirt is fairly basic, straight and simple. The jacket is the star- double breasted with a flair at the rear. It has a astrakhan scarf that ties at the neck. I am fortunate enough to own this suit and can attest to the quality of the fabrics and tailoring.
Astrakhan is  the tightly curled fleece of the fetal or newborn karakul lamb. It is a luxurious and expensive fur and its use dates back hundreds of years.

Thursday 26 December 2013







This Ben Zuckerman coat, dating from the 1960's is a wonderful example of the master tailor Zuckerman was. The coat is in a neutral grey wool, heavy and substantial. It is double breasted with simple black buttons and a half belt in the rear. This coat is such a classic that it really doesn't date- it still looks fresh 50 years after it was made.
You can get an idea of the tailoring involved in a Zuckerman in the interior shot of the coat- interfacing to give the coat body and an invisible hem.
Photos courtesy of HighendHuntress

Sunday 22 December 2013






This is a Ben Zuckerman jacket, once part of a suit in a grey tweed herringbone wool. It has a very equestrian feel to it and probably dates from the early to mid 1950's.
The jacket was sold at Bauer McCann, Waco Texas, which is a now defunct boutique that specialised in high end designer wear.
It is also interesting to see that this jacket was treated with the Berlou Mothproofing treatment. This was a chemical treatment applied to garments that repelled moths. Berlou was founded in 1944 but by 1986 it had gone out of business.
Photos courtesy of  Holy City Hoarders.

Wednesday 18 December 2013


This is a 1950's Ben Zuckerman suit in grey. It has a really unique figure-eight design on the jacket that makes it stand out and draws attention to the nipped waist.
Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Saturday 14 December 2013


This is a 1950's Ben Zuckerman suit, in blue grey wool. It is very New Look, with the soft sloping shoulders, pleated skirt and nipped waist. For an extra touch of femininity it has a 'bow' at the neckline.
Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Monday 9 December 2013










This is a really special Ben Zuckerman coat and dress set in a bright blue, green and yellow floral pattern. The dress is a sheath style and is influenced by Jacqueline Kennedy. The coat is single breasted with 3/4 length sleeves. It fastens with the most amazing buttons.
What makes this outfit so unique is that it is from the Sax's Fifth Avenue Custom Shop. Here ladies would go to have one of a kind outfits made by top designers. This Zuckerman is dated 28 April 1964. The customer would have gone to the Custom Shop and would have worked directly with Ben Zuckerman, picking the material and having the outfit made to fit her exact measurements. As you would expect this was a very costly exercise so very few women would have been able to afford this. It is very likely that this outfit is one of a kind.

Photos courtesy of Duex Amis.

Friday 6 December 2013


From Harper's Bazaar, 1952- 'Miron- Ben Zuckerman's polished black.... an elegance of worsted and fur woven by Miron Mills Inc.'

Wednesday 4 December 2013


From 1958- 'Designer's Prize, Ben Zuckerman, Two time winner of the coveted Coty American Fashion Critics Award, uses dusty pink brushed tweed for a classic daytime dress with flattering  notched collar and softly flared skirt. The New York designer, who won his first Coty 'Winnie' in 1952 was honoured with a return award in 1958.'