JACQMAR. Digby Morton skirt suit. c. 1940s.

Approx. UK size 8. Jacket in black wool with velvet collar and rayon lining with wide lapels and label 'Designed by Digby Morton/Made by Jacqmar/ 16 Grosvenor St., London W1, with matching black wool skirt with zip to left side and label 'Digby Morton/ Grosvenor Hill/ London W1' and matching black leather-backed belt; very good condition.
This New Look-style skirt suit is too extravagant, with its wide folding lapels that give the illusion of a jacket front opening over a waistcoat, to have been part of the Utility Wear scheme and must have been worth a large number of clothing coupons. Yet it would have seemed worth the expense; Digby Morton (1906-1983) was one of the top London couturiers of the time. His aim was 'to transform the suit from the strict tailleur, or the ordinary country tweed fit only for the moors, into an intricately cut and carefully designed garment, so fashionable that it could be worn with confidence at the Ritz.' (DNB). He was also closely involved in the war effort, being one of the Board of Trade's approved designers for the Utility Wear scheme and the creator of the WVS uniform. This is an unusual collaboration with Jacqmar, the fashion house celebrated for its headscarves, and is a rare piece of 1940s fashion.

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