Elsa Schiaparelli Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Elsa Schiaparelli (1890 to 1973) was the Paris couturier known for Surrealist wit and strong shoulders in the 1930s. Her couture house ran from 1928 to 1954, with a wartime break, and her name was then licensed, so a Schiaparelli label needs to match the style and period of the piece.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that Schiaparelli launched her career in Paris in 1928 with a black sweater knitted with a white trompe l'oeil bow, which funded a workroom making sportswear. She produced her first full collection in 1929 and added couture day and evening wear in 1930. Her work of 1928 to 1935 is described as Cubist in feeling, and her 1936 to 1940 collections as Surrealist, with collaborations with artists including Salvador Dalí. Her atelier shut during the war and reopened in 1945. In 1954 she closed it, ending her role as a couturier, but continued to license her name for products such as hats, scarves, sweaters and jewellery. The house reopened in 1977 with a team of designers.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Trompe l'oeil knitwear and sportswear | From 1928 | Her first work |
| Couture day and evening wear | From 1930 | The couture house |
| Surrealist designs | 1936 to 1940 | Her most famous period |
| Post-war collections | 1945 to 1954 | After the wartime closure |
| Licensed products (hats, scarves, sweaters, jewellery) | After 1954 | Not couture |
| Reopened house | From 1977 | Later Schiaparelli |
What it helps date
- Our 1930s hub describes her strong shoulder and cinched waist, and our date by zippers guide notes she showed coloured plastic zippers as visible decoration in 1935.
- She had dress buttons made from Bakelite: buttons and fasteners.
Values
Our hats and handbags values guide lists Schiaparelli hats at about $45 to $230 at auction, a 1950s straw hat about $130 (Barnebys). The 1930s hub records a Schiaparelli dinner jacket of 1937 to 1939 at $5,125 at Augusta (December 2025). Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for schiaparelli vintage hat on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Elsa Schiaparelli
- 1930s Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate 1930s clothing by bias cut, natural waist, shoulders, zippers and NRA labels, tell it from later copies, and see realistic 2026 auction values.
- Dating Vintage Clothing by Buttons, Snaps and FastenersHow button materials (celluloid, casein, Bakelite, acrylic), snaps and Velcro help date vintage clothing, and why buttons are the least reliable clue.
- How to Date Vintage Clothing by the ZipperUse zipper type, placement, brand and material to date vintage clothing: metal Talon zippers, side-seam closures, the 1960 nylon coil, and concealed zips.
- Vintage Hat and Handbag Values: Hermès, Chanel, Coach, Leiber and More2026 price ranges for vintage handbags (Hermès, Chanel, Coach, Leiber, mesh, Lucite) and hats (Stetson, Daché, Schiaparelli), from sold data.
Related
- Dating Vintage Clothing by Buttons, Snaps and FastenersHow button materials (celluloid, casein, Bakelite, acrylic), snaps and Velcro help date vintage clothing, and why buttons are the least reliable clue.
- How to Date Vintage Clothing by the ZipperUse zipper type, placement, brand and material to date vintage clothing: metal Talon zippers, side-seam closures, the 1960 nylon coil, and concealed zips.
- Vintage Hat and Handbag Values: Hermès, Chanel, Coach, Leiber and More2026 price ranges for vintage handbags (Hermès, Chanel, Coach, Leiber, mesh, Lucite) and hats (Stetson, Daché, Schiaparelli), from sold data.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.