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A very rare dress-suit dating c.early 1970s by haute couture designer, Benson Landes. This suit is a rare find and a fabulous addition for any serious collector of vintage attire. In brief, Benson Landes began his own label in 1956 but gave up fashion design in 1981 to concentrate his career on his art work and sculptures. There is an example of his clothing design in the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia. Other than that, I have yet to come across anything by this designer.

DRESS: Wide, square neckline with short sleeves. White top with horizontal stripes in different widths. There's a thin fabric tie belt that fastens with a hook at the back. Two inverted/slashed pockets with striped welts. Rear enclosed zip with hook faster. Fully lined.

JACKET: Single breasted with a rolled collar in navy blue with contrasting striped edge. There are four, bound button holes with navy blue buttons, each with a gold-tone centre. Fastens with a press-stud at the top. The cuffs are decorated with a striped trim and one button. The jacket is fully lined including sleeves.

This suit has been hand-finished to a very high standard. The fabric quality is superb. Made from pure new wool so incredibly lightweight and comfortable to wear. If you want to dress to impress, this chic designer suit is just the ticket. Perfect for weddings or the races and anywhere you need to look smart and sophisticated. A hat will look great with this suit.

The measurements provided are of the actual garment so if you measure smaller, this suit should fit you. Approximate modern day size equivalent UK 12 (US 8).

Dress measures:

Chest 38" (96cm)
Waist 30" (76cm)
Hips 40" (101cm)
Length underarm to hem 36" (91cm)
Length centre back to hem 43" (109cm)
Upper sleeve length 9½" (24cm)

Jacket measures:

Width across back, shoulder to shoulder 15" (38cm)
Chest 38" (96cm)
Length centre back to hem 21" (53cm)
Upper sleeve length 24" (61cm)

Condition: Near pristine. There's an extremely small, very faint mark to the front of the skirt and one on the right sleeve of the jacket which are shown in the photographs above. These are barely noticeable and in no way detract from the over all quality of this garment which is superb.

Please note: When it comes to dry cleaning a garment of this quality, I recommend using a specialist; one that is experienced in dealing with vintage and is knowledgeable about fabrics.