V&A

Black Mock Crocodile Leather Long Coat

1980s · 1980s · French

Designer

Yves Saint Laurent

Production

ready-to-wear

Material

mock crocodile leather

Culture

French

Movement

Power Dressing

Influences

1940s military greatcoat proportions · masculine tailoring codes

This full-length coat displays the characteristic oversized silhouette of 1980s power dressing, with dramatically wide shoulders that create a strong triangular profile. The mock crocodile leather surface shows a distinctive embossed reptilian pattern with subtle variations in grey tones. The coat extends to approximately mid-calf length with a straight, columnar cut that maintains its structured shape. The collar appears to be a simple notched or shawl style, and the coat closes with what appears to be a concealed front closure. The sleeves are generously proportioned, contributing to the coat's imposing presence. The leather treatment gives the surface a matte finish with textural depth from the crocodile embossing, creating visual interest without embellishment.

coatstraightknee length

Connected To

Black Mock Crocodile Leather Long Coat

62%

Cream Cotton Shift Dress with Black Daisy Motif

Designer·Yves Saint Laurent

SHARED20 years · cross-culture · cross-category

These two pieces reveal Saint Laurent's genius for making opposite textures speak the same visual language. The crocodile coat's reptilian scales and the dress's scattered daisies both create all-over surface patterns that break up their respective silhouettes in surprisingly similar ways—the dark, glossy bumps of mock croc echoing the small black florals dotting cream cotton.

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Red Leather Double-Breasted Jacket with Sheepskin Collar

Red Leather Double-Breasted Jacket with Sheepskin Collar

61%

Black Mock Crocodile Leather Long Coat

Movement·Power DressingTechnique·leather-working

LINEAGEsame era→ directed

Lineage: “masculine tailoring codes”

Both pieces weaponize leather for the boardroom battlefield of the 1980s, but they take opposite tactical approaches. The red jacket with its plush sheepskin collar broadcasts power through luxury and warmth—think corporate seduction—while the black croc-embossed coat goes full armor, its severe length and reptilian texture designed to intimidate rather than invite.

Text73%

Image76%

Entity31%

Black Mock Crocodile Leather Long Coat

56%

Oversized Cream Waterproof Cotton Trench Coat

Movement·Power Dressing

LINEAGEsame era · cross-culture→ directed

Lineage: “1980s architectural silhouettes”

Both coats weaponize volume as armor, but where the mock crocodile leather coat achieves menace through its reptilian surface and monolithic silhouette, the cream trench disarms with its softer drape while maintaining the same shoulder-forward stance.

Text77%

Image74%

Entity24%