Vintage Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Women’s Blouse, Sz 40, 100% Silk France

A lovely rare vintage blouse from the House of Love: Yves Saint Laurent . Excellent condition.

Large collar, bunches at shoulders and cuffs to create bit of volume. 76-80.

Sz 40: 19.5” armpit to armpit, 24” length, 32” sleeve.

Some more info:

Identification & Provenance

Label: “SAINT LAURENT RIVE GAUCHE – PARIS / MADE IN FRANCE”

This woven label with the red square next to SAINT LAURENT and clean sans-serif lettering is characteristic of mid- to late-1970s through early-1980s Rive Gauche production.

It places the blouse solidly in the Yves-Saint-Laurent-designed era (before his 1998 retirement and long before the Hedi Slimane rebrand).

Size: FR 40

Fabric: 100% silk (lightweight printed twill)

Origin: Made in France

During this period, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche was the ready-to-wear counterpart to his haute-couture line, designed under Yves’ direct supervision and produced in Paris and Lyon. These blouses were sold through department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Bergdorf Goodman and were often part of coordinated ensembles with wide-leg trousers or wrap skirts.

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🎨 Design Context

The blouse’s oversized dagger collar, soft puff shoulder, and narrow cuff point to roughly 1976–1981, aligning with YSL’s “Russian Peasant” and “Saharienne Revival” years — silhouettes that emphasized volume up top with narrow tailoring below.

The geometric check print (a loose, painterly plaid in blush, peach, navy, and ivory) reflects Saint Laurent’s shift away from florals and folkloric embroidery toward more modernist textile references inspired by his friendships with artists like Mondrian, Sonia Delaunay, and Braque.

In this blouse, the formality of silk intersects with the playfulness of pattern — a classic Rive Gauche move: bourgeois comfort with intellectual wit.

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💼 Historical & Collector Value

• Era: c. 1978–1981

• Lineage: Yves Saint Laurent-designed Rive Gauche

• Fabric & construction: Made in France silk with precision seaming and signature gathered sleevehead.

• Collector appeal: Strong — 1970s Rive Gauche silk blouses are increasingly scarce, particularly with original tag, label, and intact silk weight.