60s pogue's hand-beaded hot pink wool knit skirt suit - hong kong

the look

a 1960s two-piece skirt suit in hot pink fully fashioned wool knit, made and hand decorated in hong kong exclusively for pogue's, the cincinnati department store. the jacket is collarless with an asymmetric front, and a dense border of hand-beaded loops in gold and clear bugle beads, silver sequins and fuchsia seed beads runs around the neck, down the front edge and around both cuffs. the matching skirt is a slim, straight knee-length knit with a self waistband tab. in the 50s and 60s, hong kong workshops supplied american department stores with hand-beaded knitwear, and pieces were often labeled for the store that ordered them. pogue's was founded in cincinnati in 1863 and was one of the city's grand downtown department stores until it merged into l.s. ayres in 1983. it's a polished, party-ready set that still reads modern.

details

• era: 1960s
• designer: pogue's
• origin: hong kong
• design: two-piece skirt suit in fully fashioned hot pink wool knit. collarless jacket with an asymmetric front edge, set-in long sleeves and a hand-beaded trim of looped gold and clear bugle beads, silver sequins and fuchsia seed beads at the neckline, front edge and cuffs. straight knee-length skirt with a self waistband tab, side metal zipper with hook closure, and hanging loops. labeled made exclusively for pogue's, british crown colony of hong kong, fully fashioned, made and hand decorated in hong kong. materials and percentages - 100% wool
• condition: excellent: knit bright and clean, beaded trim full throughout
• size & fit: tagged size 14 on both pieces. best modern fit estimate is women's small to medium, approximately us 6-8 depending on desired ease. the jacket is boxy and hip length, and the skirt is slim and straight through the hips. shown on a dress form measuring 17 in shoulders, 35 in bust, 30.5 in underbust, 25 in waist and 35 in hips.
• flat measurements: jacket: bust 18 in flat, shoulder 15 in, sleeve 22.5 in, length 21 in. skirt: waist 13.5 in flat, hips 18.5 in flat, length 25.5 in