Black Velvet and Gabardine Asymmetrical Button Midi Skirt Pencil Suit-M-L, 1940s

Pencil suit of heavyweight wool gabardine and silk velvet. Hip-length jacket features wide notched lapels with velvet accents, decorative velvet flap pockets and faux double breasted front closure with velvet and gabardine covered buttons. Modified dolman sleeve with shoulder seam detail; exaggerated round shoulder and cuffless sleeves with wrist notches. Heavily sculpted, the jacket has 9 princess seams around the full circumference to create a gentle peplum flare; fully lined in silk crêpe. Pencil skirt features a tacked front center kick pleat fixed by 7 decorative covered buttons matching those on the jacket; rear 6 ½” working kick pleat. Left metal zipper closure with button tab and hook and eye on plain 1” waistband; skirt unlined.

fabric: wool gabardine, silk velvet, silk crêpe
noteworthy: dry clean only
alterations: reattached skirt hook
condition: excellent

measurements:

•jacket•
collar: 5 ½” at widest
front drop: 7 ½” from shoulder
shoulders: approx. 16”
sleeve: approx. 24 ½” from shoulder, 20” from underarm
sleeve circumference: 17” at upper arm, 10” at wrist
bust: 42”
waist: 30”
length: approx. 24” from shoulder, 16” from underarm
sweep: 41”

•skirt•
waist: 28”
hip: 38”
length: 30 ½” including 1” waistband
sweep: 40”
hem: 2”

label: original Bellciano (New York) / Himelhoch’s (Detroit)
size: no size tag present; comparable to modern size medium – large