Coco Chanel Red Haute Couture 1950s 2 pc Wool Jersey Jewel Button Dress & Coat

Chanel Red Haute Couture two piece wool knit jersey dress & coat with Gripoix gold & turquoise glass buttons, designed by Coco Chanel from the early 1950s. Before Chanel, jersey was a lowly fabric, reserved for undergarments and work wear. It was neither chic nor elegant, yet in 1916, Chanel shocked the fashion industry by using it as part of her collection, creating a new form of elegance.  Red was one of Coco Chanel's colours. “Red is the colour of life, of blood, I love red,” said Chanel. It is a colour that can be bright and aggressive and in its darker shades, it evokes elegance and willpower and can therefore be used on garments, accessories or directly on a woman’s body in the form of lipstick or nail varnish. “If you’re sad,” suggested Chanel, “add more lipstick and attack. Men hate women who weep.” A rare opportunity to own a piece of Chanel history from the early 1950s in Chanel Red, a wool jersey coat & dress. The coat is simple & elegant with a surprise inside, a bright turquoise quilted silk lining, the lining matches the 3 gold poured glass buttons at the dress front. The coat is open at the front with a wing collar that is seamed at the corner and around the neck back to shape.  Elbow length sleeves are curved and seamed horizontally up the arm to shape. The coat features princess seams at the fronts each falling to inverted pleats at the hem. There are inverted pleats at the hem of each side seam. The sleeveless dress has a high V neckline, the dress pulls on and closes at the front with hidden hook and sewn loops. Horizontal & vertical seams at the bust take the place of darts. A curved facing above the waist side front has 3 bound button holes and 3 arty gold metal buttons that are set with poured turquoise glass, it closes below with hidden hooks and sewn loops. There are two inverted pleats at either front hem side. Together with the original self belt. The dress is unlined, the seams are finished inside, there is no indication the dress was ever lined. Each piece is labeled and numbered tag is intact. The dress hem has been adjusted up in one area.  There are a few tiny very light dark marks see photos. Each piece fits like a modern size 4. We have not had this outfit dry cleaned. It has been stored carefully.
      In excellent wearable condition.  All our clothing inspected for condition and is ready to wear. Any condition issues will be noted. For visual comparison our mannequin is a size 4.
     Please check the measurements provided below and compare with your own measurements for the best possible fit! Please contact us if you have any questions about this item or need more photos.
     Measurements are in inches:
Dress
Bust 34
Waist 28
Hip 36
Center neck to hem back 39
Coat
Bust 40
Shoulder back 15
Sleeve length 15
Hip 42
Center neck to hem back 37