Yves Saint Laurent Multi-Color Floral One Shoulder Layered Silk Dress YSL, 1970s

Regarded as one of the quintessential designers of the 1970s, Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized the industry through moving away from the traditional, ultra-tailored styles of haute couture. Encapsulating the essence of the new social setting and seeking to access a larger audience of women, Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche styles interpreted the lax vivacity of the 1970s.

Featured in the Museum at FIT’s 2015 exhibit Yves Saint Laurent & Halston: Fashioning the 1970s, this 1972 dress is made from a multicolored silk chiffon donning a flower-power aesthetic in tones of blue-green, celery, and white on a deep purple ground with accents of orange throughout.

With three cascading layers of chiffon, this dress suspends from the left shoulder and falls to a full maxi length. The bottom-most layer acts as a slip with the overlays creating opacity and differing intensities of color. Combined with the fun print and color scheme as well as the asymmetrical balance, this dress presents as a vibrant and casual option.

Measurements:

Size estimate: Small

Bust: 34 inches

Waist: 30 inches

Hips: 37 inches

Length: 59 inches

Unlined, this dress closes with an invisible zip and a hook and eye and a decorative bow at the shoulder. In very good condition, there is light wear to the fabric with one pinhole on one of the layers and a snag found upon close inspection. This vintage YSL dress has been professionally eco dry cleaned and pressed. High-quality vintage pieces like this are yours to live in and love while increasing in value every year. It’s never too soon to start collecting them, as an investment in your wardrobe—and in yourself.