Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Going Ape Over Jacques Tiffeau

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I had no particular interest in the gorilla-arm look recently shown by Balenciaga and Giles Deacon.

Then I noticed this vintage coat with monkey-fur arms by Jacques Tiffeau online. I figured I’d just share the the photos with y’all and remark on how there’s nothing new under the sun, great minds think alike, etc.

Jacques Tiffeau coat

First, I needed to look up Jacques Tiffeau, who was a new name to me.

Jacques Tiffeau coat, full-length

Tiffeau died in 1988 at age 59, and his New York Times obituary was very informative. He shared my Wear What You Want philosophy, according to the Times: “He once said women should not trust him, or anyone else, to tell them how to dress.” But what really won me over was the next sentence in the obit: “Women’s Wear Daily, which labeled him with the epithet ‘sauvage,’ once quoted him as saying he took clothes seriously, but not fashion.” That attitude makes Tiffeau my soulmate. An interesting coat with a great story behind it? I had to have it. Look for it on me next winter.

Meanwhile, you can check out this jacket with super-shaggy Mongolian-lamb cuffs for $149 on eBay. I won’t buy this one out from under you.

From eBay seller kukuvintage

UPDATED TO ADD MORE ON TIFFEAU: This blog post led me to two great links here and here. Must reads!

UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD UNRELATED NEWS ITEMS:

  • All you peeps who saw my designing friend Zang Toi on the Real Housewives of New York can see everything I’ve written about Zang here.
  • Show your support! I’m auctioning off an 18K gold and citrine Pineapple Necklace, valued at $1,125, at charitybuzz. Proceeds benefit the New York Women in Communications Foundation and its scholarship program for deserving women.
  • Thanks to Tavi for sharing with me this bit of fashion insanity. A must-see, darlings!
I designed this ring for Zang Toi’s Fall 2007 line.
Shot on and by gorgeous blogger Jennine.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. He sounded like one of those people I could really get into…like Uncle Karl and his surly musings on life.

    That coat is insanity. I’m sure it will look amazing.

  3. Love that “wear what you want” mantra. I definitely do, and it usually has more to do with my mood at the minute, not strictly fashion.
    (even though I love fashion)

  4. Everyone needs to subscribe to the ‘wear what you want’ philosophy. I mean if I want to dress in 1960s vintage dresses (and sometimes I do) who’s to say I can’t? I like vintage styles. I like my 1950s chocolate suede jacket and 1970s wooden platform sandals. They’re “me”. Screw those guys who think if you’re not wearing this year’s colours or the in-styles from the catwalk, that you’re irrelevant. I figure THEY’RE irrelevant and they’re welcome to be as irrelevant as they want. 🙂

    I love your quirky style miss B.

  5. At first glance I said ‘ew’! But at a second and a third I actually think I might love that Jacques Tiffeau coat.

  6. I wasn’t even aware people used monkey fur for in any kind of fashionable way until a week or so ago. I still have some mixed feelings about this. But, the mongolian lamb fur jacket is awesome!

  8. I really like the way the coat looks, it’s very elegant, but I don’t think I could ever bring myself to wear fur, especially monkey fur.

  12. Farren and Hannah, despite the ad campaigns of certain celebrity-obsessed “rights” groups, I don’t really feel differently about fur vs leather vs snakeskin etc. So I am especially unperturbed by a coat that I figure is, at least, 40 years old. It’s an interesting fashion artifact to me and I doubt it will inspire anyone to steal a monkey from the zoo and slap it on a coat.

  13. I desperately need to invest in more outerwear. I wore my blue ruffly peacoat (which you’ve seen) ALL WINTER LONG. Just about every day.

    I like monkey fur. It looks very smooth and soft.

  14. As cozy as it looks, I’m not sure about it. Im sure other people would be a ble to pull it off.

  16. How lovely! I really like it, that sort of soft zigzaggy (I can’t think of a better way to describe it) sillhouette is so beautiful.

    xx

  18. I was struggling to understand those furry muff-looking things at Balenciaga too! There is a place for fur and that ain’t it!

    Fun post, per usual WB!

    xoxox,
    CC

  20. Those understated furry arms are much more appealing than the Balenciaga version, in my opinion. Whatever will you wear this coat with, WendyB?

  21. Probably my usual jeans and black top, Sal! My everyday dressing is not very interesting. Though I think this could go very nicely with certain Ossie dresses, so I will definitely do that combo too.

    And….I just eBayed a Tiffeau dress as well, so I can do a whole ensemble by him! Someone new to obsess over…

  22. I appreciate the mini research Wendy…his name is definetely new to moi -quite sad when someone talented dies so young!

  24. i know it’s so unpc but i want that monkey fur coat. (and ring too…that’s more pc…)

  25. I owned a pair of shaggy mittens like the ones in the top photo once! They were red and hideous and I felt like I was wearing hairy oven mitts.

    That gold ring is to die for 🙂

  26. Maja, I could see how shaggy mittens would be a problem! Thanks re the ring. Jennine only took the best picture ever of it!

  27. Such fantastic Tiffeau quotes. I agree that the coat is marvellous enough anyway, but with the added context of such an interesting designer, a whole new dimension is added!

    Thanks for the heads up, I’d never heard of him before..

  29. Such a pretty ring 🙂 I love the gorilla gloves, I definitely need a pair of those.
    x

  31. I would have to resist the temptation to use those furry gloves as oven mitts!!

  32. I would have to resist the temptation to use those furry gloves as oven mitts!!