When couturier Jean Patou (1887-1936) died, he left behind a fashion house and legacy credited with revolutionizing luxury sportswear for men and women. This ensemble was created during a transitional period at the house of Patou, after Karl Lagerfeld’s (1933-2019) tenure ended in 1963, and around the time a young Jean Paul Gaultier (b. 1952) joined the design team in 1972. The creative director during these years was Michel Goma (1932-2022), a young designer credited with bringing a youthful vigor to the label, and who was concerned with creating an enduring reputation: “I believe I am still a child in the haute couture. I know that I am a darling – and much loved – but I am a little sensitive about being considered just a commercial success,” Goma confessed in 1966. Even in the absence of its founder, the house’s reputation was one of exacting standards in the spirit of old-world haute couture, the quality which drew in Gaultier, combined with Goma's youthful energy, Patou’s house attracted a distinguished clientele, including Mrs. Claude Arpels and Jacqueline Kennedy.

Purple wool trimmed with white leather in a dress, jacket, and belt. The sleeveless dress is made of purple wool and is cut with a stand collar, straight skirt gathered into the dropped waistline, and a center front "bib" of white leather. The jacket is cut with a rounded notched lapel, long sleeves, and center front closure of leather covered buttons. The ensemble is finished with a white leather buckled belt. 
Label: Jean Patou / Paris / Tailored in London
Size Label: 10

Approximate Measurements:
Shoulders: 14"
Chest: 34"
Waist: 33"
Hips: 33"
Length (high shoulder point to hem): 22.5"
Sleeve (center back neck to hem): 32"