The New Look - the fashion show that made history.

The New Look is the phrase given to Christian Dior's 1947 collection that was officially titled "La Linge Corolle". Dior's collection revolutionized fashion and changed the way women dressed for fifteen years. Today I will be delving into the background behind the controversial collection and how it not only influenced fashion shows to come but inspired many collections and as a result left many individuals (worldwide) baffled.

On the 12th of February 1947, Dior held a fashion show at 10:30 in the morning to a crowd that gathered at his salon on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. It was his first collection for his fashion house, and it consisted of two lines called "En Huit" and "Corolle". The collection restored a beautiful and harmonious idea of femininity to women that were previously profound to poor standards of living during WWII. The phrase "The New Look" originated from an overheard remark by Caramel Snow, who at the time was the editor in chief for Harper's Bazaar. After watching the show, she rushed over to Dior to tell him that "your dresses have such a new look". The phrase was coined by many and is often used when referring to dresses or separates that were inspired by Dior's Corolle silhouette.

So, what made "The New Look" so unique? Christian Dior stated in his autobiography that during the late 1940s "we were just emerging from a poverty stricken, parsimonious era, obsessed with ration books and clothes coupons. It was only natural that my creations should take the form of a reaction against this death of imagination". The New Look acted as a response to the way women wanted to feel after WWII. Because of rationing, silhouettes at the time were very limited as rationing meant less fabrics, slimmer silhouettes and shorter hemlines. During WWII women wanted to feel strong and this was reciprocated by using padded shoulders in designs and taut waistlines. Women had to step into traditional male roles as men were sent out to fight for their country, leaving women to become the heads of their households. After the war many women were eager to return to more traditional roles and to put the war behind them. They longed for frivolity in dress due to the psychological desire to distance themselves from the austerity and pragmatism of wartime garments and civilian uniforms. Many believed Dior did exactly that as he freed women from the binding grip of the corset and shaped silhouettes with tailoring and fabrics that were lined with taffeta or stiff percale. The 'New Look" had not evolved from the previous fashion seasons and had left everyone in awe.

One of the most iconic silhouettes from his collection was the Bar Suit. The design was very different to the box shaped utility suits of the 1940s as the Bar Suit jacket had narrow shoulders and a cinched waist as well as a mid-calf hemline. The feminine silhouette offered a unique shape that flattered the figure. The jacket consisted of ten panels and princess line seaming (you can refer to my post about Charles Frederick Worth to learn more about the Princess Line). The silhouette was achieved by stiff structured textiles and padding sewn directly into the garment. The skirt of the Bar Suit was incredibly heavy due to the amounts of fabric that were used within the design. The pleats of the skirt were held together by hand stitching and this allowed the skirt to hold its shape under the jacket as well as the large amounts of netting underneath the top of the skirt to allow it to stand out at the hip. Dior looked back at the heightened femininity of the 18th and 19th century to inspire his designs due its inherent romanticism.

The "New Look" was endorsed by high profile celebrities including Grace Kelly. It was because of this that Dior's silhouette dominated part of every woman's wardrobe during the 1950s.

However, not everyone was fascinated by Dior's "New Look". The Little Below the Knee Club was a group formed in 1947 in Dallas as a response to the collection. The club had nearly 15,000 members worldwide who believed that the longer hemline was old fashioned and as a result stopped women from attracting men. Many women felt that the padding and corsets insulted their natural curves and blamed Dior for putting women back in corsets. Furthermore, the designer Coco Chanel was not fond of the silhouettes and responded by creating the infamous Chanel tweed suit to juxtapose the hourglass silhouette of the "New Look".

Overall, the "New Look" was a big deal during the late 1940s as the collection revolutionized fashion. Dior reinstated Paris as the centre of international couture after the occupation and changed the way that women dressed for the next fifteen years.

Sources: The Ultimate Fashion History - "Speaking of Fashion - Dior's New Look. [youtube video]

Victoria and Albert Museum: Fashion Unpicked - The "Bar" Suit by Christian Dior. [video]

Dior by Dior: The Autobiography of Christian Dior.

Image Sources: Cover Image - Dior 1947 couture show, Dior.

Second Image - courtesy of IWM

Third Image - Dior SS47, Willy Maywald

Last Image - See Magazine 1948