This navy blue pinstripe 1940s skirt suit is a bit of a mystery! Based on a few of its details, I believe that it may have been adapted from a previous existence as a men’s suit, during wartime rationing of fabrics. In any case, it is a nice 1940s ladies’ suit in its own right! The hip-length jacket has peaked lapels, large shoulder pads, bust darts, a 3-button front closure with large, ribbed buttons, and 2 slit pockets in front. The slightly flared skirt has a fitted waistband with a single button and metal side zipper closure, and a deep kick pleat at the center front. The jacket is lined in black rayon crepe, and the skirt is unlined, with bias bound seams, and a lot of extra fabric present in its side seams. This extra fabric, plus the unusual diagonal darts at the top of the shoulders in back, plus the look and feel of the medium-weight navy pinstripe wool fabric used for the suit, all lead me to believe that it may have started out life as a men’s suit. In good, sturdy and wearable condition, the suit has 2 tiny mends in the skirt front (unlikely to be noticed), several mends at the right sleeve cuff, and a 1.5-inch hole in the jacket lining fabric at the left front hem (not seen when worn). Please see the photos for details. This navy blue pinstripe 1940s ladies’ suit is a WWII-era classic: freshly dry-cleaned, quite sturdy and with plenty of wear left in it! My 2nd photo shows the suit unpinned from the mannequin, to give a better idea of its actual size.
SIZE: L
JACKET
Bust: 44” flat, to fit approx. 40-42”
Width at hem: 44” flat
Length: 26” from shoulder to hem in front/ back of neck to hem is 25.5”
Sleeve: 23.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 16”
SKIRT
Waist: 34” flat, to fit approx. 32-33”
Hip: 44” flat, to fit approx. 40-42”
Length: 28”
LABEL: none
