Pierre Cardin Suit - Date?

Helen Siwak

Helen Siwak

Registered Guest
Hello Everyone,

This Pierre Cardin suit is so slim I originally thought it ladies (?!) but it is men's and suitable for a Thin White Duke! It has some great touches - pant hem - and I would like to find out which decade this is from. The wool fabric is thick and crisp and feels like a scratchy linen. I imagine quite uncomfortable to wear.

Thank you for any and all feedback!

KK
 

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That's a wonderful suit! I have a 3 piece "disco" suit in the same colorway, though it's a summerweight fabric--probably a linen blend.

Don't know if you've had a look at the Cardin entry in the label resource? Your label bears some similarity at first blush to one of the 60s labels, but I think it's different. (Cardin labels are really hard to date because he licensed so much and there are so many versions!) The fabric care label provides a bit of info--the woolmark symbol was created in 1964, and international fabric care symbols began in the early 70s.

I'm thinking later 70s? Hopefully one of our menswear experts will be along soon to weigh in!
 
I agree with Carrie, and date to the late '70s - and it looks like raw silk, so I'm surprised to see the wool label but raw silk was really big in '78-79 so maybe that was the look they were going for?
 
Sorry Barbara - I'm going to disagree :)

Early to mid '80s lapels were thin, and pants didn't have flat fronts like these: they had pleats. Also they were baggier - you could be right about the legs being a bit tapered though, the cuff looks narrower than the calf.
 
Oh Nicole, we do have to "agree to disagree" on this suit:oops:. Oh well! :)

I still see early 1980s on this one. The lapels look just right to me as far as their width, as does the rounded bottom on the hem, the jacket length, and the pocket flaps. The pants almost look as if they do have a pleat, I thought I saw 1 pleat but it may be a crease from being folded in storage. I remember the thin lapels and double/triple pleated pants coming in later in the 80's decade for the stylish younger set, and then the thin lapels went away by late 80s when the wider lapels and double breasted jackets came back. Of course, I am not a menswear collector, this is all from memory....which is fading fast these days......
 
I am going to agree/disagree with both of you! lol
I was addicted to GQ magazine in the late 70s and early 80s, and I would bet this suit is about 1980 on the nose. I wore a YSL slubbed grey suit for my high school graduation in 1979 which was very similar, but the jacket on my YSL was still tapered in at the waist, otherwise, this looks very American Gigolo to me - narrow belt, single pleat with the buttoned tab at the waist, medium wide trouser legs and lapels, and the retro 50s nubby texture material... I see it with shiny brown calfskin loafers (or if you were really fashion forward - dress sandals) and an olive or khaki coloured silk collarless shirt...
 
I was SO jealous of his wardrobe in that film - it was exactly how I wanted to dress at the time. Although he looked better in it than I did - even when I was thin and 19 I was still built like a footballer and didn't fit those slim-line clothes well...
 
Sadly, there's only one Richard Gere - and he's not aging too badly either. I snuck in to see his dreadful version of "Breathless" as an under age fan. I didn't care so much about the film, he was worth seeing :)
 
Thanks for the input Jonathan! So Nicole and I can meet in the middle :). I was guessing around 1982 on this suit. I also thought the waist should be slightly nipped in if it was very early 80's, but I cannot tell the actual shape of it in the photo, as it is not on a real person or mannequin.

I loved Gere in "Breathless", he was so hyper and FUN! I was not much of a fan of his until I saw that movie, it changed my mind about him. I watch it now just to see his performance. And I love those funky checkered pants he wears in the film....so cheesy.
 
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