Progressive Lines & Later Designs

Fifties Fashion After the "New Look"

   
An Alphabet of Dress Designs
       While the influences of the New Look may have lasted forever, the style in its true form was soon joined by other dress cuts and designs. Dior experimented with other equally feminine lines, such as the 'Princess Line' (1951), whose skirt began under the bust and fell gracefully to the mid-calf. 1954 saw the introduction of the 'H'line, (1954 was a popular year for all things 'H'), and 1955 brought the 'A' and 'S' lines, all reflecting their letters in the curves of the woman's body.
       

The A, S, and H lines of the fifties (1, pg. 41)

 
Here Comes Coco

     In 1954, Coco Chanel introduced the first major line of styles for a woman, by a woman. Her now classic suit look was immediately popular in America, where women strove for excellence, but the feeling of pure haute couture was not always appropriate. The look was clearly feminine, with a slim skirt and high, sling-back heels. However, the front-hanging, open cut of the jacket lent it a comfort and practicality all of its own. Her trademarks included contrasting trimmed edges, single-breasted buttons, and the use of girlish bows.

 

 

 

Coco Chanel's classic suit look. (7, p. 86)

 
In The Sack

       More and varying designs followed, each with a subtle step away from the feminine. The most influential was Givenchy's Sack dress of 1957. As the name hints, the dress was formless and, most noticably, waistless. While women could retain their polish with gloves, hats, and other adornments, this freed them from the restrictive look and feel of 1947.

       Givenchy declared that the Sack dress was "More than a fashion, it's actually a way of dressing." (1, p. 40) Vogue praised it for its sense of mystery. "No gentleman is ever going to puzzle his brain over the form of a girl in a Bikini bathing suit." -Anita Loos for Vogue (1, p. 40) It is easy to see that while appearance and impressing the oppossite sex was still quite important in a young woman's mind, its place at the top of the list was perhaps being challenged by other things.

       Givenchy's design had a lasting influence and was a main source of inspiration for the bombshell fashions of designers like Mary Quant, who barged onto the scene and took command during the sixties.

 
A page from a late-1950's Sears Catalogue, with everyday variations of Givenchy's Sack Dress. (12, p. 27)