1961 Christian Dior New York Coat

Christian Dior was one of the first French designers to sell a pret-a-porter, or ready to wear, line, as opposed to his made to order couture lines. He was also one of the first to design ready-to-wear clothes to be made in America, rather than France, in acknowledgment of the excellence of American workmanship. Hence the Christian Dior-New York label.


This coat would have been designed by Marc Bohan, and was advertised in the September 16, 1961 issue of Vogue magazine. The coat was sold at Bonwit Teller and retailed for $350 (about $2500 today). Made from French wool with a nubby fleecy texture, this coat had a bulky silhouette. Note the full 3/4 sleeves gathered into cuffs. The half belt serves to reign in the full cut of the back of the coat. The model wears black kidskin gloves and a black fur bubble hat.