Documented Spring 1981 Halston Runway Silver Tube Bead on Silk Backless Halter Pant & Jacket Set

In 1981 Halston was still in full control of his brand. He had not yet signed the international licensing agreements that would be the beginning of his downfall in 1983. At this point in the Halston history, he was at the top of his game and anyone who was anybody was wearing the Halston label. His prices were sky high and the work put into the pieces was impeccable. This is a fabulous example of his work and it has the added distinction of being a well documented one. On the runway it was styled with a wrapped leather belt and these were sold separately as part of the collections that Elsa Peretti was doing for the label. It is an amazing set and even better once on the body as you can see from the runway shots we included here.

Halston's beaded and sequin pieces were being made in India during this time period. Halston personally chose the fabrics and materials that were used for each piece of his collection and then sent them to India where they were beaded and sequinned to his specific instructions and assembled. The 1981 collection was especially intricate and the majority of the runway garments were heavily beaded and/or sequinned. This set is absolutely gorgeous and all of the bead and sequin work on it is completely done by hand. Silver tube beads in two sizes are laid out in an intricate swirling pattern that covers all three pieces. Each bead has been hand applied onto an ivory silk chiffon that has a bit of transparency. To make it wear able the halter and pants are lined in a nude silk chiffon. I love the boldness of the silver and how all three pieces glitter and sparkle in the light from every angle. Each piece is kept simple in design to work in harmony with each other. The pants have an elastic waist and are cut to skim over the hips. Each leg falls in a straight peg silhouette from there. The halter has a high scooped neck and ends just above the waist. It curves back and around the neck to close and does the same at the waist. This leave the back completely bare. At the front the bust skims over you. The bottom of the halter is finished with a silk panel that has little loops set all the way around it. These correspond to hooks that run around the waist of the pants. You can choose to wear the pants low for your midriff to show, and either let that band on the halter show or flip it under, or you can hook the pants to the top to hold it in place and then wrap a belt around it similar to how it was styled on the runway. It is just incredible. Then you would slip on the jacket over that if you wished. The jacket is cut loose and easy with a closure at the top the neck only so you can see the pieces underneath. The set is very flattering on the body and easy to wear. It is pure glamour. I love the versatility of having all three pieces because you can endlessly mix and match them all with other pieces from your wardrobe. Even just wearing a set with or without the jacket dramatically changes the feel of it. This is a classic example of Halston's work. This would make an amazing wedding piece for the bride looking for a non-traditional choice or as an alternative outfit in a more extended wedding celebration. And of course it could also be worn to any event.Excellent condition

The jacket is unlined and has a hook and eye at the top of the neck. The heart hooks to close at the neck and at the back. You can also hook the pants and halter together as described above. Elastic through the waist of the pants. The bead work is completely hand done. Perhaps the occasional area of loose beads and threads here. The elastic in the waist feel stretched a bit and would be an easy fix if you needed the waist smaller. Its current range of measurements are listed below but it could go down by a few inches if needed. Slightly creamy in colour in person

Halter
Neck: 14" around
Bust: no true side seams but covers up to 14" flat across the front
Seam at bottom: to 13" flat across from side seam to side seam and the hook could be moved to get another inch if needed or made smaller as needed
Length: 15" from neck to bottom seam

Jacket
Sleeves: 22"
Shoulders: 15"
Bust- bottom: 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 30" from neck to hem

Pants
Waist: 13-18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 40.5" from waist to hem with 3.5" turned under the hem
Inseam: 29" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4189

Reference Photos: Spring 1981 Halston Runway. Model: Connie Cook. (3rd photo: Crystal beaded cardigan jacket and jumpsuit from the Summer 1981 collection. From the book "Halston: An American Original")

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.