Friday 25 September 2015


From The Philadelphia Inquirer, 13 January, 1962- Vintage Year Looms for Suits.
'Ben Zuckerman's interpretation of fit is seen in his checked suit, with a slim jacket, flared at the hips, above a sheath skirt.'

Saturday 19 September 2015


From The Chicago Tribune, 17 July, 1953.
'Outstanding example of Ben Zuckerman's costume suit, a panther slim wool dress in caramel colour topped with short coat of tweed, in white, grey and caramel.'

Thursday 10 September 2015








This very modern looking Ben Zuckerman ensemble dates from the late 1960's. It is made of creamsicle orange silk and consists of a dress and jacket.
The jacket is perfectly tailored, and has wonderful diamante buttons. The dress is a sheath and has matching buttons at the bust.
This outfit was retailed at Julius Garfinkel, the high end boutique in Washington, DC. You can see the tags are still present, meaning this is New Old Stock, a very rare bird indeed. When new, this outfit would have been a very expensive item, retailing a t$535 ($2000 today), representing 20% of the average yearly salary. Garfinkel's would add lingerie straps and dress shields to any item they sold, a high end touch.
Photos courtesy of Badger201143.

Monday 7 September 2015






This Ben Zuckerman suit, in bright red dates from the late 1960's. The jacket is double breasted with patch pockets and a smart black velvet collar. The skirt is a line and simply tailored.
What is interesting is that this suit comes with some 'extra' material to match- this was something that was more frequently done in the past. I have read numerous home-ec and advice books from this era that advise when buying a new suit or coat to ask the store to order you some of the same material in case repairs might be needed in the future or the purchaser needed to adjust the size of the garment. The store would obtain the material directly from the designer.
Photos courtesy of KatrinaSurvivor.

Friday 4 September 2015






This gorgeous red jacket, once part of a  suit is really unique. The jacket is designed to look like a shirt, with a pleat in the back to enable free movement of the arms, and mock pockets at the breast. The sleeves are three quarter and have a cuff, and the buttons are brass and are very decorative.
Photos courtesy of Vintage and Retro Things.