Coat

In 1956, the first child of American couturier Charles James was born, prompting the designer to create a line of infants’ wear. Like his fashions for adults, his children’s clothing was attuned to the intended wearer’s anatomy, and responsive to the body in motion. When designing women’s fashion, James was determined to flatter even the most difficult figures through careful placement and shaping of seams, and he translated this approach to infants’ wear, giving his baby clothes a “built-in shape” emphasizing a baby’s rounded form.

James debuted his line of infants’ wear at his Salon in October 1956, modelled by his 8-month-old son, Charles Brega Haweis James, and a coterie of small, red, full-bellied mannequins. The clothes he showed were marked by graceful shaping, precise cut, and refined seaming, as seen in this infant’s jacket. It displays an unusually complex and inventive cut for a child’s garment, with sleeves cut in one with the back yoke, two pendants extending from the front yoke to imitate pockets, and a pleated back vent for ease of movement. The sailor collar and the stripes’ varied directions add visual interest to this simple, practical style. Such attention to form, fit and functionality reflect James’s pursuit of perfection in all facets of his work.