very early skirt suit from American designer Bob Mackie, best known for his flamboyant designs, often heavily beaded and embellished, famously worn by his favourite muse Cher throughout the years. this suit is in stark contrast to that work, best dated to between 1983 and 1985, the very first years of his label before he changed his logo to the scrolled font he kept throughout the years, before his label folded in the early 90s but also as his name got licensed in the 2000s.

the suit consists of a cropped boxy jacket and a long slim cut skirt which pair perfectly together, the bottom of the jacket meeting the top of the skirt almost perfectly, in a deep cherry red with a grey lining. the jacket has those wonderful diamond-shaped grey accents on the back and sleeve, adorned with leather covered buttons, complementing the already clean lines of the piece. nice square shoulder with slight padding. a beautiful, unexpected exercise in simplicity from a designer who rarely swam in those waters, and which is incredibly wearable and chic today, 40 years since its inception.

no closures to the jacket, skirt has a simple zipper and clasp in back.

excellent vintage condition. slightest of wear to the fabric, which just blends into the already fuzzy and soft texture of the wool. dry-cleaned and ready to be worn.

made in Italy. 100% wool. marked 6, best fits XS or US 0-2. shown here on US 0 mannequin with 32" bust 23.5" waist and 33.5" hips.

jacket

• bust: 34" roughly
• bottom: 34" roughly
• shoulder: 16"
• arm: 24"
• length: 16"

skirt

• waist: 24"
• hips: 36"
• length: 27"