The 40s, 50s, and the New Look

Restrictions on fabric during World War 2 meant that dresses had to become shorter, as well as more practical and hardwearing – this lead to women’s clothing adopting a more militant appearance. Shoulder pads dominated every jacket, dress, or blouse, and the pads extended past the shoulder. Paired with the boxy shoulders was a more hourglass silhouette, reminiscent of the 1900s corset; clothes of the 1940s promoted fuller breasts, a tiny waist, and broad hips. Dior became a dominant figure throughout the post-war years, using the new adoration for curvy silhouettes to their advantage. In 1947 their collection of waist clinching jackets and full skirts was named “the new look” by Harper’s Bazaar editor Carmel Snow, who exclaimed “its such a new look!” upon viewing the collection. [1] Art had little-to-no influence on fashion during the war years, the muted colours can be compared to Picasso’s muted colour palette in many of his cubism pieces however the muted colours used were a representation of the nation’s mournful atmosphere.

The 50s up-kept the New Look silhouette, however the boxy shoulders were discarded for almost bare shoulders giving the ‘flirty’ fifties its appropriate name. Despite the widespread popularity of the revisited hourglass silhouette, another silhouette to emerge from the fifties became the ‘pencil’ silhouette. Still as feminine as the hourglass, the pencil became predominately popular with mature women in evening wear.

The 1950s saw the return of Chanel, who although remained in business during the war years, was secluded to one boutique on Rue Cambon selling only perfumes and jewellery. The 50s birthed one of Chanel’s most memorable pieces; the boxy suit in her 1954 collection. Created from the one-considered masculine fabric tweed, it sported a slim fitting skirt and gold-buttoned jacket. The tailored suit became a staple piece of the 50s, a breath of elegance and a contrast to Dior’s New Look. It is suggested that Chanel created the suit in disagreement with the hourglass figure making a return [2], that it did not suit the liberated women nor was it modern.

Another designer to woo fashion of the 50s was Balenciaga, although he is not associated with any specific look like Chanel and the LDB or Dior and the New Look. Balenciaga’s unique (and sometimes bizaire) designers continue to reshape fashion in the 21st century; extravagant sleeves being the brand’s most recognised feature [3].

[1]: http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/1940s-fashion-the-decade-captured-in-40-incredible-pictures-108160

[2]: http://iman-atributetofashion.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/1950s-coco-chanel.html

[3]: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG10275681/The-mysterious-Cristobal-Balenciaga.html