Out of the ashes of World War II-era clothes rationing, factory-ready clothing, and austerity rose the King of 1950s fashion, Christian Dior. His New Look emphasized the feminine silhouette, usage of lots of fabric, a full-hipped skirt and a cinched waist. His New Look signaled the end of the War for women, who could now stay home from the factory work if they liked, and focus on domestic life and family. The 1950s is really all about how the world reacted to the end of World War II, so naturally 1950s fashion is reactionary to War-era fashion.
Reactions are often 180 degree turns and it’s true with 1950s fashion. It’s everything the war-era dresses weren’t. During the war, the Utility Suit (Victory Suit) was popular. It was practical, sturdy and simple. Christian Dior turned all this on its head and introduced fabulously feminine dresses and suits that took lots of fabric, had lots of feminine details, and which were kind of high maintenance in general (i.e. special undergarments were supposed to be worn to make the shape of the dress correct).
Big, impractical hats, dainty gloves, longer skirts and undergarments to squeeze the woman’s shape into the New Look shape were popular well into the mid-1950s and solidly launched the career of one of the most successful famous fashion designers in the world. House of Dior is still a big player today. Original Christian Dior dresses and suits are on display at museums across the world. We’ll be seeing a lot of Dior in 1950s Fashion.
Tags: 1950s Fashion, Christian Dior, Dior, Dior bio, Dior biography, Dior history, famous fashion designers