Beautiful Original Late 1940s / Early 1950s Micro Check Houndstooth Suit Life Savers By Kirkland Hall

This fabulous suit was made from lightweight wool in a red, black and white houndstooth pattern in the late 1940s / early 1950s. It was made by Kirkland Hall in collaboration with the American sweet company Life Savers. These suits were made in the colours of the sweet flavours, but we have never seen a patterned example like this. The suit was cut with lightly padded shoulders and a gently nipped waist. The notched lapel collar leads to a single row of three mother of pearl buttons that fasten the blazer and large statement patch pockets add a real design detail. Inside, the blazer is unlined as you would expect from a summer weight suit and has the collectible Life Savers Suit by Kirkland Hall maker’s label. The matching skirt was cut in a slight A line and fastens with an original metal side zipper and a button closure above. 

Jacket

Bust: 34”

Waist: 28”

Shoulders: 15 3/4” seam to seam

Skirt

Waist: 25”

Hips: 37”

Length: 29” plus 3” hem

The suit is in very good condition with only a couple of tiny flaws and a missing tooth on the zipper (still zips uk fine).

This garment is available to purchase with or without dress shields. These clever little contraptions have been made by our seamstress to an original 1940s pattern and can be simply attached to your garment by tack stitching at the corners of the underarm seam, pinning (we wouldn’t recommend that, it hurts if it goes wrong, so if you try this, it is at your own risk only) or inserting tiny poppers. They then stand ready to absorb any sweat and body odours as needed and you can simply detach and launder them instead of your garment, saving you a fortune in dry cleaning bills.

They are equally suitable for suits, blazers and dresses and come in pure white cotton.

They are universally sized and super easy to use even for a sewing novice as only a couple of tiny stitches are required at each side to secure them.

We sell Dress Shields as a standalone item or at a discount if you purchase them with a garment. We will select the appropriate type to match the garment you have purchased.