From Town & Country Magazine, 1957- an ad for Juilliard Woolens.
'A return to the elegance of velvety texture.... Juilliard's superb  smooth-faced coating in fall's first colour. Cut in an exciting shape, a new length by Ben Zuckerman. At Saks Fifth Avenue, all stores, Best's Apparal, Seattle'
'Look for this label, Juilliard 100% Virgin Wool because 'Fine fabrics are the foundation of fashion.'

Virgin wool is wool that is spun for the first time. Shoddy is wool that is 'recycled' or re-spun from existing spun wool.

This is a Ben Zuckerman suit, in camel hair, with a large fur collar in what is possible fox. The jacket is boxy, and double-breasted, with pockets near the waist. The skirt has a banded waistband and is a typical Zuckerman- simple in design to allow the jacket to shine.
Camel hair is a type of cloth made from camel hair, and is classified as a specialty hair fibre. The outer protective fur (guard hair) is coarse and inflexible and can be woven into haircloth. Guard hair can be made soft and plush by blending it, especially with wool. The camel's pure undercoat is very soft, gathered when camels molt in the warmer seasons, and is frequently used for coats.
Photos courtesy of Cur.io Vintage.

This is another picture of the fantastic Ben Zuckerman coat that Princess Grace of Monaco wore when she arrived in Monaco to marry Prince Rainier. Not seen is the matching dress worn underneath.
This outfit has a special meaning to me. I have always admired Princess Grace and it is through my interest in her that I discovered Ben Zuckerman. More than any outfit by Zuckerman, I would love to own this one. Unusually, Princess Grace did not commission a one-of-a-kind outfit for her arrival in Monaco, rather she bought this outfit 'off the rack', so it is possible that there are other copies of this ensemble out there. A girl can dream!

This is a Ben Zuckerman suit, from the 1960's (probably towards the late 1960's) in a grey checked wool with scalloped pockets and a fantastic satin bow at the neck in a complimentary colour. You can just see the cuffs of satin at the wrists- there probably wasn't a long sleeved blouse underneath the jacket- rather a sleeveless shell with cuffs just at the bottom of the sleeves. This was a signature Chanel feature, done so that the jacket didn't have a bulky blouse underneath the sleeves.

Here we have a wonderful Ben Zuckerman cocktail outfit, consisting of a dress with a matching jacket. This ensemble would have usually been worn together, rather than as separates as we are used to today.
The outfits is made of very heavy velvet in a rich midnight blue. Ben Zuckerman never used flimsy materials, as he designed with the more mature woman in mind who needed substantial materials to flatter the figure. This outfit probably dated from the early 1960's.
Photos courtesy of Jonotang.

From Harper's Bazaar, 1959- a Ben Zuckerman dress and coat photographed by the great Richard Avedon.
Born in 1923, Richard Avedon was a hugely influential photographer- as stated in the New York Times 'his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century'. He died in 2004.
This Zuckerman outfit is probably made of a substantial wool in a pale colour, perhaps cream or pink.
The dress is Empire style, with a belt just below the bust.

An undated Ben Zuckerman coat- probably from the mid 1960's, in white matelassé trimmed in white fur- likely mink.  As is usual during this time period, the accessories, including the gloves and hat match perfectly.
The French word, matelassé means “quilted,” “padded,” or “cushioned,” and in usage with fabric, refers to hand quilted textiles. It is meant to mimic the style of hand-stitched Marseilles type quilts made in Provence, France. Matelassé fabric can be either hand-stitched to create the decorative features of the fabric, or woven on a jacquard loom for the appearance of quilting. Matelassé fabric is a heavy, thick textile that appears to be padded, but actually has no padding within the fabric.