Suit
Mrs. Kempner's closets yielded a seemingly endless array of tailored suits. Many of the designs incorporated sartorial variations on iconic menswear elements: the spencer, the "Eisenhower" or blouson jacket, the double-breasted "gangster" suit, and the formal blazer. While acknowledging the virtues of traditional menswear, Mrs. Kempner was also an advocate of innovations of cut and detailing in her tailoring. The virtuosity of Balmain's jacket lapel incorporated into a seam to create a trompe l'oeil waistcoat or Saint Laurent's nautical ensemble that supplants a naval uniform's white duck with feminine cotton piqué suggests her interest in witty and novel details.
Artwork Details
- Title: Suit
- Design House: House of Balmain (French, founded 1945)
- Designer: Oscar de la Renta (American (born Dominican Republic), Santo Domingo 1932–2014 Kent, Connecticut)
- Date: ca. 1991
- Culture: French
- Medium: a) wool, silk, plastic; b,c) wool, silk
- Credit Line: Gift of Thomas L. Kempner, 2006
- Object Number: 2006.420.67a–c
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
House of Balmain
Christophe Decarnin
fall/winter 2009–10
House of Balmain
Christophe Decarnin
spring/summer 2010
House of Balmain
Pierre Balmain
1953
House of Balmain
Pierre Balmain
fall/winter 1972–73
House of Balmain
Pierre Balmain
1950–55
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.