Fashion History- The New Look by Dior
Written by Kalyani Kala, Fashion Business Management, ISDI. Faculty- Belinda Bawa.
This is getting exciting day by day. Reading always makes the reader think and understand things not just about the content but about millions of other things because of which the subject of their content came into existence. In simpler words, I have learnt things not just about fashion in the past weeks during my classes but also about how all the other factors like politics, economy, society, war, music/entertainment etc come together and affect the designs/trends in the fashion industry and how they change on the basis of the same.
Fashion in the 1950s varied greatly from the beginning to the end as it not only saw the introduction of many new styles but also many styles that paid homage to the 1920s. With similarities from the Victorian era this phase saw the emergence of elegance in style. This was a given considering the fact the major designers from this era were- Christian Dior, YSL, Valentino, Cristoble, etc. It was precisely the time when fashion exploded into new directions, new colors, and new silhouettes. It is an iconic decade that has spurned a vintage retro fashion revival including Pin Up and Rockabilly clothing.
Influenced by the likes of Rock Music (rock&roll) the designs were based on the apparel of famous musicians. One of the most famous looks from the same is the Elvis look. The fan following of the star made for a good market to design similar outfits. This majorly influenced the demand and thus created a platform for designers to design on.
This era was the house of glamorous shapes, colourful prints and always exaggerated with voluminous skirts and tiny waists. Dresses from the 1950s are easily spotted. The hemline stops around the knee, they look best over a stiff petticoat, and they were surely a lot of fun to twirl in!
1950s Fashion Trends
- Tea length swing dresses with petticoats for fullness
- Slim sheath dresses and tailored suits
- Pencil or circle skirts, poodle skirts for teens
- Capri pants, high waisted jeans
- Peter pan collar blouses
- Twin set cardigan sweaters
- Swing coats in winter
- Kitten heels, saddle shoes, stiletto heels
- Small hats, headscarves, hair flowers
- Jewelry: pearls, animal brooches, sweater clips
- Matching Accessories: Gloves, hats, belt, handbag
- Lingerie: Buttlet bra, girdle, backseam stockings
There are two classic dress shapes of the 1950s. The most popular style today is the full skirt, tea length dress often called a 50s swing dress. The other very classy look was the form-fitting sheath dress often called a pencil or wiggle dress today. Both styles had modest, snug fitting tops with narrow high waistlines, and shin-length or tea-length skirts. Both styles were worn by women equally although the sheath dress was too impractical to wear as a housedress.
The key looks for the 1950’s were-
- The Sweater Girl Look:-
The tight sweater was born in the 40s and would remain popular throughout the 50s. Ironically, it’s a little shocking to the modern eye as this look’s aim was to emphasise a thrusting conical shaped bust and was invariably worn with a bullet bra. In actual fact, the modern rounded bust shape would have looked peculiar in the 50s — as everyone aimed for this shape bosom. Many vintage dresses accomodate for this shape in their makeup. The sweater evolved from turtleneck into the twin set — a 50s staple. Dior’s iconic ‘New Look’ arrived in Paris in 1947 and due to it’s vastly different shape to the war years — had an enormous impact on the fashion world. Style was now back on track, ironically picking up from where it left off before the pause created by the war. Dior created a succession of silhouettes he based on letter shapes — line A being an a-line silhouette derived from a widening towards the hem and was quickly followed by the Y-line, created by wide dolman sleeves tapering to a slim skirt. However, Dior’s initial look continued to dominate for many years with fashion looking nostalgically to the past with its boned bodices and full petticoats. - Petticoats & Full skirts:-
Wide circular or pleated skirts were worn with layers of petticoats to give lift and were prominent in both day and eveningwear. Always to mid calf — never shorter but maybe longer for eveningwear. Petticoats were several layers of net and generally starched for extra stiffness or frothy chiffon in evening wear in vibrant colours of green, pink and yellow! - Pencil Skirts:-
A narrow, close fitting straight skirt sometimes called a ‘hobble’ skirt restricted women’s walking creating the wiggle look. Fell from natural waist with little excess fabric with a small black split at the back. Pencil line dresses were also very popular for all ages, being a very sophisticated look for more mature women worn with heels and plenty of accessories. (The wiggle dress looks fabulous with a swing coat.) A pencil skirt with a shirt or sweater and worn with flats is a more fun way of wearing the look. Again the skirt length is important — it must be calf length to look really 50s.
“The war was over, the boys were home, the restrictions were lifted, and the economy was reviving. It was time.”
Striking words when I read these lines. Being an Indian who has always studied and associated the time till 1947 to be the time of National struggle, the existence of such eras is hard to relate to. But the fact that all this has played an important role in the growth of the world of fashion it can surely be seen as the silver lining for the readers.
Considering the fact that this article is about the looks that ruled the 1950’s, what can’t be ignored is The New Look by Christian Dior.
Christian Dior- The New Look
Paris was a home to mostly all major design houses. One of the most reputed ones among them which is still remarkably making and changing fashion trends is- Christian Dior. Our association to Christian Dior may not directly be of the past but indirectly we are falling for the rich history that the fashion house inhabits. The innovations in design at the house of Christian Dior moved and attracted people which lead to its steady global expansion. It was the host of collections that infused magic to innovation. From Christian Dior himself, Yves Saint Laurent and now John Galliano, this label has never lacked genius. The kind of impact these names and their design language brings on the mindset of the buyers and the world of fashion is such that the name- Dior, automatically sketches an image of luxury, haute couture, and desire. An era defining force- Christian Dior.
The first postwar collection introduced was — Carolle Line, which was widely accepted and spoken about under dubbed name- “The New Look,” by famous American Magazines and journalists. The wartime fashion which, as the name suggests, was mainly around harsh utility clothes with more masculine feel was not the market identified by the Dior. Instead he used his lavishly soft, purposefully elegant line to give rise to a flood of radical changes that hovered the fashion industry. This radical was not just a change in trend and feel of the clothes but it was a wide attempt at restoring and reviving France’s internationally acclaimed fashion industry.
Designed on two lines namely, ‘Corolle’ and ‘Huit’ the collection is said to be renamed after the famous, Harper’s Bazaar’s editor-in-chief, Carmel Snow, exclaimed “It’s such a new look!” The “New Look” of Christian Dior was an international success in the late 1940s. His designs were an up to date elegant look, which no one had seen before. It was after the launch of this collection that Christian Dior became one of the most famous people in the world of fashion.
Every look or trend is accepted by the masses because it’s key elements either cater to the needs and mindset of people or create a desired environment for people to fit in. In the case of the New Look, the latter stands true. It served to the desired womanly hourglass figure. This look incorporated a tiny waist with full hips and a plentiful bust. It showcased a curvy shape as it eradicated squared shoulders and gave a rather natural flow to the shape. Waist pinching jackets and darted dresses were a part of this look to accommodate the fabric increase from waist to chest and hips. Skirts were mid calf and full, flowing with layers of nylon petticoats. The freedom and grandeur of the skirts gave both a glamorous feeling and appearance. Variations on skirt line and length emerged as the decade progressed, and encompassed a great variety of styles. Women were adorned with hats, gloves, shoes, and purses; all the accessories to match.
War created the appeal and path for Dior’s New Look. Aesthetic appeal was a dead front in the time of war and crisis which made women repulsive to the on going fashion trends. The restrictive and oppressive clothes could not coexist with the New Look and rather paved a way into the hearts of buyers. A similar effect on the spending capacity and desires was seen as the economy held strong and meanwhile the American public learnt the beautiful art of spending money on themselves. This was a major aspect that led to the acceptance of the Dior Look as rightfully quoted by Dior himself, “Novelty is the very essence of the fashion trade.”
The collection overall showcased more stereotypically feminine designs in contrast to the popular fashions of wartime, with full skirts, tight waists, and soft shoulders. Dior retained some of the masculine aspects as they continued to hold popularity through the early 1940s, but he also wanted to include more feminine style.
The Bar Suit is one of the iconic images from the collection as it encompasses the central themes of the style. The suit delicately displays the feminine body however the tailored jacket adds just the perfect touch of structure to the overall look. During this period, there was still a slightly sombre tone as the Western world tried to re-build itself economically and the New Look accounts for this as it has a mature feel, attempting to avoid frivolity and girlishness which may have been criticised as poor taste.
The New Look really did change fashion at the time and its influences are still prominent today. Even within this year’s designer collections, the basic principles of the iconic Bar Suit can clearly be seen on some catwalks — even Christian Dior’s! The striking silhouette of tiny waists with emphasis on the hourglass curves creating an almost caricature body shape has had a recent resurgence in popularity.
The Evening dress by Dior is another trademark dress from the New Look period and now has become a staple style among formal wear, particularly among brides where it is can sometimes be pejoratively referred to as the ‘meringue’. However, it is also popular among the more eccentric designers and again it can be seen on catwalks as recently as this year.
This big and bold- “New Look,” introduced in 1947, completely turned the fashion trends upside down. This trend introduced full dress skirts with padded busts to elaborate the importance of a small waist. Bringing back with itself the touch of the Victorian era, it made itself standout with shorter and sexier designs which were yet modest. This boosted another buyer trend which saw women spending more time and money on shopping the latest fashion trends as their wearables also represented the success of the husbands. It not only promoted the idea of women being homemakers, but also seized a market of sure shot buyers.
Dior has never lost the elegant look, even after Christian Dior died. The brand retains it’s USP- elegance. Dior is considered as one of the most expensive brands in the world with 210 stores world wide, the brand provides luxury goods and is well known for it’s high end looks.
Dior always brought out women’s beauty and one of the most important part of his designs was to fully show women’s body curves to make it as feminine as possible, and no matter what kind of body shape it is, it can always fit into his designed curves perfectly.
Dior today maintains it’s relevance and is still seens as one of the largest lurxy brands. While the Christian Dior label remains largely for women’s offerings, the company also operates the Dior Homme division for men and the baby Dior label for children’s wear. Products are sold throughout its portfolio of retail stores worldwide, as well as through its online store. The designs and retails ready-to-wear, leather goods, fashion accessories, footwear, jewelry, timepieces, fragrance, makeup, and skincare products while also maintaining its tradition as a creator of recognized haute-couture under the Christian Dior Couture division.
Building on deep and strong roots is a very important brick in the making of anything big. The list of things done right is mainly measured by which magazine writes about you or to name the finest- whether you are on the Forbes List of the biggest in your field or not and Christian Dior SA is the world’s largest fashion group, according to Forbes’ Global 2000 list. With $49 billion in revenue for 2017, the annual list of “the world’s biggest and most powerful public companies, as measured by a composite score of revenues, profits, assets and market value.” It is said to be closely following the likes of financial institutions like P&G and Apple, and Amazon, of course. In recent times the likes of sticking only to roots and not expanding in terms of innovation can lead to a major downfall. Dior held their position firmly by not only venturing into new product lines like perfumes, sunglasses etc, but also expanded their ownership umbrella. LVMH made the task of making it to the list for Dior Couture, easier when they expanded by making a $13 billion worth bid to bring in Dior in their line of luxury goods brands making Dior the highest valued fashion brand in the world which generates approximately $50 billion in one year and is projected to return even more in the coming years.
Bibliography-
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