Fall/Winter 1955-1956

Woman's Ensemble: Slacks, Blouse, Bra, and Shorts

During the years after World War II, the Italian designer Emilio Pucci revolutionized sportswear, turning casual into chic. His name and that of Capri, the fashionable resort off the coast of Naples, became synonymous with a relaxed style of dressing especially suited for the beach resorts frequented by the jet set during the 1950s. This ensemble, worn by Lauren Bacall, is typical of the Capri look. It includes slim, figure-hugging pants in finely woven cotton tapering to a few inches above the ankle, short shorts (not shown), a bikini top, and a tailored, square-cut, long-sleeved shirt. The shirt was worn loose by day but by night was provocatively unbuttoned, knotted at the waist, and accessorized with gold chains and jeweled sandals. The ensemble is from Pucci's "Siciliana" collection of Fall/Winter 1955-56, and its fabric, inspired by Italian sources like so many others he used during the period, derives from the Byzantine mosaic decorations of the cathedral of Monreale.