Yves Saint Laurent Documented Silk Black and White Music Note Dress, 1982

When Hedi Slimane took over as creative director of Yves Saint Laurent in 2012, he began reaching back into the house’s archives for inspiration. More often than not, however, he radically reinterpreted the classics to suit his cool-girl take on Parisian high fashion. One of the treasures he left almost untouched was the black-and-white music note print.

For his fall 2016 menswear collection, which included womenswear and debuted before a rockstar-studded audience at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, he showed it in all its original beauty on a dress worn by model Kiki Willems. In the description accompanying the look, he stated that its reintroduction was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche label. The print originally appeared on this dress, which was part of the brand’s fall 1982 collection. It was so loved that it became the focal point of the advertising campaign that season.

The twisting and twirling notes look playful on the silk chiffon style, which is reminiscent of a Spanish flamenco dancer’s costume. The dress features a ruffled neckline, which can be worn on or off the shoulders. A bias-cut bodice gives way to a full skirt, set with an asymmetrical waistline and hem to heighten its diaphanous beauty. A ruffled flounce at the bottom adds to the effect. It’s a stunning signature piece that will turn heads as much today as it did almost three decades ago.

Size estimate: S/M

Measurements:

Bust: 36 inches

Waist: 30 inches

Hips: free

Dress Length: from shortest point, 46 inches, and longest in back, 62 inches

This Yves Saint Laurent dress from 1982 is in excellent condition. It features a black-and-white music print on silk chiffon. The gorgeous design includes a ruffled neckline that can be worn on or off the shoulders, a bias-cut bodice and a full, flowing skirt. The skirt is set to appear higher at the waistline and hemline at the front left, revealing the ankle and foot. It dips low in the back.

A ruffled flounce at the bottom enhances its fullness. A 13-inch metal zipper on the left side under the arm is inconspicuous so as not to detract from the dress’s beauty. 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.