New Look style (new bow) in clothes
New Look (New bow) – the most feminine trend in the history of fashion in the 50s of the twentieth century. This style gained wide world fame thanks to the clothing line of designer Christian Dior, which was created in 1947. Translated from English, this word means “new look”, or “new image”.
Features of the fashion of the 50s
Fashion of the 50s
The fashion of the 50s shows a particular length of the skirt, which covers the knees and calves a lot. At that time, feminine soft colors, a fitted silhouette were in fashion. Emphasis was placed on the chest, waist and hips: all this showed the value of the model of that time.
Style Features
New look style
The New Look style is well known to the women of the USSR from the film Cinderella. Its main features:
soft femininity;
emphasis on the waist;
a wide fluffy skirt (usually made of tulle or lace guipure) made on a petticoat made of either nylon or tulle.
Such dresses were most suitable for young girls, schoolgirls and graduates who, more than anything else, loved to dance.
Nothing radical in the fashion of the 50s did not happen. The emphasis was primarily placed on traditional, family values. The neckline was not too deep, the waist was well-defined. Small bows or flowers were allowed.
At that time, ladies began to wear dresses that symbolized wealth – this was done in defiance of the “military” direction that dominated in the 40s. Many dresses of this period were made with a new element – with lurex (with a thread that gave a beautiful brocade sheen).
Dresses with lurex
Since there was a lot of fabric, many tried to show this abundance through draped corsages, special flaps and bows. The hands were usually free, but they were often adorned with nylon gloves. Miniature fashionable hats were put on the girls’ heads. In the USSR, such hats were called rather pejoratively – “meningitis”. In the West, these small hats were called “bibi”.
The most successful elements of this style were the decorative pockets, which formed specific “figs”: this detail made the dresses somewhat similar to the women’s outfits of the 18th century.
To make the ladies look not too full, fashion designers paid special attention to vertical folds, which helped to create an elongated silhouette: the vertical always slims. These elements were located on the side, or in the center.
In the post-war years, a new fabric appeared – nylon. Its name is an abbreviation of two cities – New York and London. Dresses were sewn from nylon, mostly red, which looked very bright and defiant. Dresses were usually surrounded by special “hoops” that held the drapery like a French curtain.
Style silhouettes
New Look style silhouettes
The first silhouette was in the shape of an hourglass (letter X). Main features:
fluffy skirt;
corset waist;
underlined chest line.
During the war years, such dresses were not worn for reasons of practicality. But at the same time, Dior proposed a new standard of femininity. The fluffy skirt was created by the fashion designer on the basis of multi-layered taffeta or crinolines.
New Look style silhouettes
The second silhouette is called conventionally straight. But in its shape, it conditionally resembles a pyramid. The shoulders here are very narrow, the waist is quite thin. The skirt has a trapezoidal shape. It is not very flared, but at the same time it gradually expands downwards.
The third silhouette is particularly complex. Its main features are a tight fitting skirt. Knitwear was not used at that time. Under the dress, women always wore one-piece underwear. For this reason, skirts were oval in shape. At the waist, they were extremely narrow. In the hip area, the skirts widened. There was a slight narrowing towards the calves.
Additional details
Glasses and jewelry New Look
Graceful silhouettes were complemented by massive decorations. Mainly used:
sunglasses, the outer corners of which went up;
neckerchiefs;
short beads;
weighty clips;
voluminous bracelets.
Fashionable colors: grayish-pink, black-burgundy, cream with brown (gray), white. Main prints: “polka dots”, Scottish cage, costume stripe.
Style flaws
Disadvantages of the New Look style
The New Look style also had significant drawbacks. Given the splendor and length of the dresses, they could not be worn without a corset, which gave the product a given shape. In most products, special linings were built in the chest and hips, creating volumes. Due to the excessive splendor and layering of skirts and their combination with rigid frames, women complained that it was difficult for them to walk in such outfits.
The average weight of such a dress was 4 kg. An evening dress could weigh even more – from 10 to 30 kg. Such dresses were put on only with outside help, and it was very difficult to dance in them.
The sewing of toilets often took more than 20 m of fabric, which was in short supply: according to critics, this was an unaffordable luxury and waste. According to Coco Chanel, Dior’s models were suitable only for shows – but not for everyday wear.
