A rare example of a Zuckerman & Kraus suit- from 1949. Zuckerman & Kraus was the company that Ben Zuckerman formed in the late 1920's until 1949, when he left the company.

This suit is really wonderful. It has three columns of buttons, with the centre button being functional and the other two decorative. This feature really jazzes up a basic wool suit. As this suit was made in 1949 it was in all probability from the final collection of Zuckerman & Kraus. You can see the excellence in tailoring and design that became hallmarks at Ben Zuckerman.

Photo courtesy of CoutureAllure.com

From the March 1966 Harper's Bazaar- American Know How.

'Ben Zuckerman-Young, young suits -brief jackets, little vests, kicky skirts,white wool twill and crepe.'

It is interesting to see what is considered young in 1966- suits, gloves, hats and low heeled shoes. Very formal compared to what is worn today!

Ben Zuckerman refused to follow the trends of the mid 1960's- he showed skirts that covered the knee, though the skirts were shorter than in previous years. His creations were beautifully constructed, elegant and chic uniforms designed with ladies in mind. Zuckerman stated that he was only trying to dress a hundred thousand ladies- and that was all. A lighthearted touch to his shows of this time were the presence of his two poodles- BZ and HS.

In 1966 he showed pale colours- mauve, lettuce green, white and pale pink coats over black dresses.  He felt that pale colours could be worn in winter rather than switching to heavier, darker shades.

My latest Zuckerman, a grey tweed suit dating from the early 1950's.  It features large decorative buttons, folded cuffs at the wrist, 6 faux pockets and a nipped waist.

The suit is made of a heavy wool. The tailoring is exceptional and the buttons are very heavy and made of mother-of-pearl.

An interesting detail is the slits located on both sides of the bottom of the skirt, they go up about 6 inches and will make walking easier.

Photos courtesy of Dressingvintage.com

From the 7 May 1965 Life Magazine- She Commands a Daytime Uniform.

'Two customers stand in a fitting room entrance in almost identical coats from Ben Zuckerman. Mrs Thomas Choate at left has on a beige, and Mrs Darlington Pitney has on a navy blue. These coats, worn over a sleeveless dress, have taken the place of suits for most Jo Hughes (of DePinna- the high end boutique) girls.'

Six months previously, Zuckerman had came out against the floppy, 'unconstructed' look. He said 'I like some of the new, kooky clothes. They are cute on the young girls. But they aren't for ladies, I make only lady clothes.' His fall collection for 1964 featured coats and suits that were as slick as uniforms. They were tailored by someone who was smart enough to let the tailoring do the talking.

The models in this show were well groomed and polished. Brass buttons were shining on his jackets fronts and on the French cuffs. Waists were neatly cinched. Linens were a feature with a number of light colour wrist-length jackets over two piece dresses. Also featured were tweeds, brocades and embossed cottons.

Zuckerman prefered grey and navy blue this season, and he had white collars on a number of his suits and coats. White cotton was also used frequently, in suits and coats that were lined in bright green silk, but black was not excluded as there were a few black alpaca suits.

Over 200 outfits were shown. Zuckerman was thrilled to receive a new customer who ordered over $60, 000 worth of clothing. Another customer reported that he had sold well over $1,000,000 worth the previous year. 

In the space of about 10 years, fashion has gone 'youthful', with much less accessories (no hat for example).

From the 12 July 1963 Life Magazine- Models bundled up in bold and  booted Autumn innovations. Shown here is a tweed Zuckerman suit $475 with a visor cap.

One month before Zuckerman had shown his latest collection. Noted were the many tweeds and the many bright blue, coral and pastel colour ensembles. Coats came with matching dresses, or with a jersey or silk blouse and tweed skirt. Also noted were:

-Open suit jackets showing brocade or velvet blouses.

-The shapely black dress in heavy crepe.

-For evening, the typical lightly fitted coat was floor length and worn over a dress matched to its lining, often in brocade.

-Fur was worn as a doublet topping day or evening dresses.

From the April 1955 Women's Home Companion, an article featuring Grace Kelly and how she is able to 'travel light'.

This is an ensemble, with a travel coat and suit, herringbone tweed, arrow straight, over a yarn-dyed worsted suit with easy skirt. Both from Ben Zuckerman. Miss Kelly will board the plane in those so it is not necessary to weigh them (as this article was giving hints on how to pack so as to avoid going over the 66 pound limit for international flights). The coat goes over everything in the wardrobe except an evening dress.

Ben Zuckerman was a favorite of Grace Kelly, she wore an ensemble by him when she arrived in Monaco to marry her prince. She also wore a suit from Zuckerman when she left New York to sail to Monaco and she also purchased a beige coat to wear during the week running up to her marriage.

Princess Grace was not the only royal fan of Ben Zuckerman. In 1964 the Duchess of Windsor attended a charity fashion show where a number of designers were showing their latest wares, including Mollie Parnis, Bill Blass, Pauline Trigere, Jerry Silverman and Ben Zuckerman. When Zuckerman sent out a lovely white cotton brocade evening suit, double breasted with brass buttons, the Duchess cried out 'That is a lovely dress!'.

August 10, 1979-  Leader in Ready-to-Wear, Ben Zuckerman, died at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. He was 89.

Zuckerman was one of 13 children, born in Romania on 29 July 1890. He was brought to America as a child by his parents, and settled in New Jersey. His formal education ended at age 15 and he began work as a floor sweeper in a dress factory on Canal Street for $3 a week. He gradually learned the cutting trade, and at 21 he formed a partnership with Joseph Hoffman, making expensive coats and suits. In the late 1920's Zuckerman formed a partnership with Kraus, which continued until 1949. At this time he traveled around Europe and returned to American in 1950 to open his own business. 

Harry Shacter was his designer, and the two formed a very successful partnership, which lead to both becoming charter members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Zuckerman became very well known for his well constructed, high quality suits, dresses and coats. They were know as having the fit and feel of Parisian originals, and were seen as the only clothes made in America that looked as if they were designed by Dior or Balenciaga.

Zuckerman won the Coty American Fashion Critics award in 1952 and 1956. In 1961 he received the Hall of Fame award. In 1951 he received the Neiman-Marcus award.

Molly Parnis, another well known American designer, said 'He never was replaced. There's nobody who does uniquely and exactly what he did. He had a marvelous flair for fabric and colour, and putting them all together. He took such pride in his clothes that nobody could sell them better than he could.'

Zuckerman was always praised for his tailoring, but he never learned to sew. He could cut and drape like a master. He was well know for his devotion to every detail of his business, from delivering thousands of dollars of merchandise to a store, to filling an order for a yard of fabric for a customer's hat. 

He is survived by a brother, Joseph, of Los Angeles.