An Avant-Garde Jacket Fit for a Duchess

© Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

This exquisite jacket from Schiaparelli’s summer 1937 collection was among 18 pieces purchased by the Duchess for her highly publicized marriage to the Duke of Windsor.

Designed in a striking combination of carbon blue jersey, the jacket is adorned with appliquéd white leather baroque scrolls, a hallmark of Elsa Schiaparelli’s avant-garde aesthetic. What makes this particular garment even more intriguing is that it still bears the original basting stitches, marking the grain-lines of the sleeve and back. Typically, a finished piece would be presented to a client, making this unfinished state quite rare. It is likely that Simpson, known for her meticulous attention to fit and detail, planned and insisted on alterations outside the atelier of Schiaparelli, further emphasizing her hands-on approach to personal style.

In 2016, another example of this jacket was conserved by preservationists Zenzie Tinker for Manchester Art Galleries, where they discovered that the main area of interest and challenge in terms of its conservation was the unusual trimming of the jacket. Analysis confirmed that the trim was cream patent leather with a cellulose nitrate finish, further decorated with white paint. This combination of materials presents numerous issues for handling, cleaning, and consolidation, requiring careful and specialized conservation efforts.

© Zenzie Tinker Conservation

© Beaton/Vogue

The Duchess of Windsor wore this jacket in an iconic photograph taken by renowned fashion and portrait photographer Cecil Beaton at the Château de Candé.

This image captures her essence: sharp, poised, and unapologetically modern. Beaton himself famously referred to her tailored aesthetic as "trim messenger-boy’s suits," a reference to her preference for structured, refined silhouettes that exuded sophistication and a touch of rebellion.

The Duchess’ collaboration with Schiaparelli was not just about fashion—it was a statement.

Each piece she wore was carefully selected to reinforce her image as a woman of distinction, wit, and elegance. The baroque embellishments on the jacket nod to a sense of grandeur, while the contemporary cut and fabric speak to modernity.

Today, this jacket resides in Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in New York City, a remarkable piece of fashion history stands as a testament to the inimitable style of the Duchess, but also as an artifact of an era when fashion was not merely about dressing but about crafting identity.

Through the lens of history, we see how Wallis Simpson, with her strategic wardrobe choices, shaped her public persona, leaving behind a legacy of sartorial brilliance.