I think I found a vintage Chanel skirt suit

C

CathyfromKansas

Registered Guest
Unfortunately it's not labeled as such but it does have a barely hanging on I Magnin label vintage 80's. It has the classic Chanel lines, double breasted, bottom of the jacket little pockets with button flap, notched collar, lion face buttons. It is black wool boucle, grid textured fabric, grosgrain ribbon trim, hand sewn quilted silk lining, hand worked button holes, hand sewn silk pocket linings, brass chain (not magnetic) bottom weight on jacket plus hanger chain.

The skirt zipper is metal with a YKK logo, looks hand applied. The skirt fabric is lined for shape and weight with the same silk quilted fabric of the jacket plus a secondary inner lining attached at the waist and zipper by hand. The waist is also a larger grosgrain ribbon, with a large hook and eye. Most of the skirt lining and finish detailing is hand done but oddly enough the hem looks like modern serger work, possibly later tailoring. It is clearly a couture piece. I didn't have to pay too much for this beauty but I would like some help with it as it's a size (roughly 4-6) that I'll never wear again so I'll probably resell it.

I have Claire Shaeffer's DVD floating around somewhere in a box (recent move) and who knows when that will turn up. For now I'll have to rely on you all. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Hi, Kathy, welcome--

It sounds like a really nice copy. Here's why.
The I.Magnin label. I. Magnin sold original couture with couture labels and custom made copies. The latter has a label with the date and customer name, no I.M. label. Since I studied with the head draper in I. Magnin's Custom Salon, I know more about I.M. than some other stores.

I've never seen a hanger chain.

Here are some things to look for
working sleeve vents--buttons with buttonholes.
hand-sewn lining--edges and armscye
hand-sewn thread buttonhole/ with or without faux bound buttonhole on facing or lining.
On the lining, are any vertical seams sewn by hand.
Trim is handsewn
If it's a pattern or plaid, how the fabric pattern is placed.
How the chain is sewn--this is difficult because it could have been resewn.

The lion's head buttons were used on "licensed" copies and the chain was copied by manufacturers in all price ranges.

Even if it's a copy, it's very marketable. There have been several copies recently with the Saks label. These stores bought the right to copy originals and had Private Label companies manufacture them.Sadly, some of the Saks suits are being sold as originals. I might add that I've also seen suits labels from originals sewn in.

I'm always looking for a copy of one (any one) of my originals so I buy copies as well as originals. Many people buy them to wear.

Please post pictures of the jacket and skirt.
Claire
 
Thanks for responding ladies! No worries about it not being original. A nice copy is fine. The suit does have couture types of detailing, hand sewn lining as Claire described, hand worked button holes, everything has a very high end feel and look to it. I sew, so I can readily identify a well made garment. I only paid $25 for it so I'm not likely to have wasted good money. I will try to get photos posted. I'm not the most tech savvy person on the planet though. I am confused about one point, the label. If I am to understand correctly, it shouldn't have an I Magnin label at all? Anyway I'll get photos today. Thanks again.
 
Since it appears to have logo buttons, I would assume I.M. bought the rights to copy it. This could have included the name of the fabric and button manufacturers. Then it was manufactured by a company that made private label garments. These manufacturers would put an IM or Saks label in it for that particular customer.

IM also had "knock-offs" made. These look like Chanels but don't have logo buttons.

Sadly, this is a part of Am fashion history that is rapidly being lost. Primarily because most museum had deaccessioned most of their copies.

In my upcoming Couture Cardigan Jacket book, there is a short chapter on copying.
 
Here goes nothing. I'm trying photos. And thanks for the explanation on the label. I get it now.

Okay, couldn't figure out the photos but not to despair I have a blog, I've posted detailed photos there and here is the link:

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I will leave this blog post up temporarily until the experts help me sort it all out. Thanks a lot!

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Thanks for the info. I'm not a techie so I'll need my husband to help to properly size the photos but he's gone on a fishing trip for a few days so I will get the up as soon as he's back and able.

So I'm assuming it's a nice copy of I Magnin's.
 
Hi Kathy

As you have the photos hosted on your blog, you can show them here without the need to resize them.
I've added your photos to your post above.

In future: you right-click the photo on your blog, choose Copy Image Location or Copy Image URL (or similar) and use the tree icon in the post to show them here.

If you delete the blog post they will disappear here.

I didn't copy your notes across, but you can edit your post and do that yourself if you like.
 
The fabric is probably wool and mohair from Linton -- a major Chanel supplier. It would have been piece dyed.

I see several things that I would look at more closely:
The chain isn't flat; it's more rounded like jewelry chain.
The ears on the lions are a bit pointed.
Is the trim stitched on or was it stitched then sewn by hand (Chanel version)
The gorge line and the miters on the trim look machine stitched.
No buttonholes on the flaps.
Can't see the buttonholes on the front.
The lining at the zipper has slanted stitches that you can see.

I think it is a beautiful rtw suit.
 
I had to get the magnifying glass out for this one.

The chain is made to lie flat but it may be built more rounded than a Chanel or good copy chain. I don't know.
Don't know about the lion ears. It could be the light but under magnification, the ears are rounded and have a definitive inward scoop of the inner ear. Very detailed.
The trim on the jacket has hand edge stitching where it meets the fabric, at least along the front, lapels and collar where I could get the best view on both front and back sides.
I can't tell on the gorge line. Black on black s so hard, my eyes aren't as good as they once were, it's overcast today and I don't have enough hands. The trim inner miters are not sewn at all or have maybe one stitch, hard to tell of it's machine.
No buttonholes on the flaps.
The buttonholes on the jacket front are hand done. They have very regular even hand stitches around the frontside of the fabric that are pretty much invisible from the back side. I had photos but they were unintelligible black blobs so I didn't bother posting them.
Yes there are slanted stitches where the lining covers the zipper.
Hope this helps.

If it is RTW, is it a non-authorized Chanel like suit from I Magnin then?
 
Stores and manufacturers bought garments to copy. I. M. copied some couture in the Custom Salon and they were as nicely made as the Fr. orig.
They also copied garments to have manufactured. This may be the case here because of the fabric and buttons.
But since they had looked at the entire collection to make those purchases, they probably also copied some which they remembered and when they went to the fabric manufacturer asked "what else did Chanel buy?".

If the trim is hand sewn, this was an expensive copy There's so way to know precisely whether it was authorized since the records at IM were thrown out when Macy's bought them--this is assuming they still had records. You can only guess.
 
Thank you very much Claire. I don't plan on flipping this suit just yet. I have a size 4-ish sister that is a conservative dresser that might just love this suit. It is in all ways impeccable, no wear to any of the trim even at the corners. I kind of remember a character in a movie wearing almost this same suit but I can't quite recall the movie. It will come to me.

I can see with the magnifying glass that the trim that runs around the front, lapels and collar both back and front side is entirely hand sewn at the edge though it's almost invisible to the unaided eye. The sun came out briefly and I see that the trim on the pocket edges and sleeve edges is also hand sewn. It's a real beauty of construction. What a great $25 find.

I really appreciate all of your help.

Cathy
 
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