Hi Isabel,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
Elsa Schiaparelli, a pioneering Italian fashion designer, is renowned for her avant-garde couture creations in the early-to-mid 20th century. Her designs, often surreal and bold, reflected a daring departure from conventional fashion. Working closely with artists like Salvador Dalí, Schiaparelli incorporated unconventional materials and surrealist elements into her collections. Signature pieces, such as her "lobster dress" and trompe-l'oeil sweaters, challenged traditional notions of beauty and fashion. Her use of shocking pink and whimsical motifs, like zippers and giant bows, solidified her legacy as a bold innovator, influencing generations of designers with her fearless approach to couture.

Schiaparelli's bold designs are those that bring large sums at auction and in boutiques with pieces from her much more serviceable and workaday pret-a-porter lines selling at auction between $200-500, depending on color, cut and condition.

Unless the fit on this is very snug, and assuming you're of average height (between 5'4" and 5'10") this coat is probably a medium but there's not much variation in value unless one gets into the extreme sizes (XS, XXL etc).

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Elsa Schiaparelli black felted wool three-quarter-sleeve swing coat
circa 1950s
The coat with large collar, three-quarter-length sleeves and flared skirt, lined with black silk, the front with three large buttons, labeled.
probably medium (lacking sizing tag)
CONDITION: Client reports this to be in very good condition; value assumes no stains, odors, repairs or losses.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 500-700*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia