New Look by Dior

¶ … New Look

In the postwar year of 1947, fashion designer created a line he called "Corelle" which is the botanical term for the frail petals at the center of a flower (Christian). In his autobiography, Dior wrote that, "I wanted my dresses to be constructed, molded upon the curves of the feminine body, whose sweep they would stylize" (Dior). He theorized that women were tired of the uniformity and simplicity of the war years where they would have to dress without excess. Dior wanted to create clothing that a woman would enjoy wearing and that would reintegrate her into the world of femininity. Experts in the industry would grow to call this line the "New Look." A 1947 issue of Vogue described the line saying, "from the era of Madame Bovary…wasp-waisted Gibson Girl shirtwaists, pleated or tucked…slow-sloped, easy shoulders…wrapped and bound middles -- barrel (almost hobble) skirts -- longer, deeply shaped shadow-box decollete- padded hips." The idea was to eradicate necessity and bring back the romance of the turn of the last century.

With this creation, came a whole new mentality for the post-war female, particularly in the United States. After the war, the women who had left their kitchens to go to work in the war plants now had to return to their homes to make way for the returning men. Husbands and wives who had not seen one another in some time began one of the largest population growths in history. With this Baby Boom, and the financial benefits of a victorious post-war nation, the average American citizen took on a persona of consumerism. Nearly every person wanted stuff: a house in the suburbs, a car, and nice clothes. Here the Dior "New Look" became an instrumental addition to the Cult of Consumerism that dominated 1950s and 1960s culture. Women saw these designs in magazines and on television, worn by the classiest ladies of the silver screen like Grace Kelly, and desired to emulate them. In the suburbs, the housewives take on the need for sameness. They must wear the same clothes, use the same appliance, and cook the same meals in order to feel normal.