Vintage Late 1950's Black Christian Dior Dress UK 8 US 4
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 40 in (101.6 cm)Marked Size: 8 (UK)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 26 in (66.04 cm)Hip: 40 in (101.6 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Style:midcentury (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Cheltenham, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2682221665912
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous couture dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Cheltenham, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Vintage 1930's Burgundy Silk Velvet Dress UK 6-8 US 2-4Located in Cheltenham, GBThis breathtaking 1930's burgundy silk velvet dress, accented by cream lace details, is just the piece for your transitional wardrobe. The round...Category
1930s Day Dresses
- Vintage 1940's Magenta Knitted Dress UK 10-12 US 6-8Located in Cheltenham, GBThis incredible 1940's magenta knitted dress, rendered in a multitude of different knitted stitches, is just the piece for your transitional wardrobe. The deep V shaped neckline is...Category
1940s Day Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Floral Dress & Jacket UK 10 US 6Located in Cheltenham, GBRendered in the most sumptuous black and floral satin with silk velvet flocking accents, this original 1950's dress and matching jacket is the perfect ensemble for that special occas...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1960's Iridescent Cream Sequin & Beaded Wool Dress UK 8-10 US 4-6Located in Cheltenham, GBThis breathtaking 1960's cream knitted wool dress, embellished in its entirety with cream iridescent sequins, and finished with floral beaded details, is the perfect piece for a spar...Category
1960s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Silk Brocade Butterfly Dress UK 8-10 US 4-6Located in Cheltenham, GBA marvel to behold, this original 1950's silk brocade dress in a vibrant shade of fuchsia pink with rose pink accents, in a wonderfully intricate butterfly pattern, is just the piece...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Silk Velvet and Satin pink floral dress satin dress UK 8 US 4Located in Cheltenham, GBA gem to behold, this original 1950's satin dress, in shades of pink and red accented by silk velvet flocking details, in a pattern of wild daisies, is just the perfect piece for you...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
- Black Cris Cross Swiss Cotton Stretch Pique Slim DressBy Barbara TfankLocated in Los Angeles, CACriss Cross Black Swiss Stretch Pique Slim Dress fits like a glove. The dress is comfy and figure hugging. Great party dress perfect for dancing, cocktails or lunch parties. Super ea...Category
Early 2000s American Cocktail Dresses
- Emanuel Ungaro Color Block DressBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in Brooklyn, NYEmanuel Ungaro yellow & turquoise blue cotton dress. blouson bodice, fitted waist and full skirt with hip pockets. bracelet sleeves. 6 buttons at the side of the bodice, can be worn ...Category
1980s Italian Day Dresses
- Valentino 1980s Pinstripe Chain Link Belted Midi DressBy ValentinoLocated in Scottsdale, AZElevate your wardrobe with the timeless elegance of the Valentino 1980s Pinstripe Chain Link Belted Midi Dress. This exquisite dress is a true embodiment of classic sophistication an...Category
1980s Italian Day Dresses
- Grey & Multicolor Valentino Geometric Print Silk Dress Size US MBy ValentinoLocated in New York, NYGrey and multicolor geometric print silk dress by Valentino. Round neckline. Narrow straps. Asymmetrical hem. 36" bust, 38" waist, 46" length, 12" shoulder width.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- Teal & Multicolor M Missoni Runway 2019 Maxi Dress Size IT 40By M MissoniLocated in New York, NYTeal and multicolor metallic maxi dress by M Missoni. From the Runway 2019 Collection. Chevron pattern throughout. V-neck. Cap sleeves. 36" bust, 32" waist, 50" length, 17.5" shoulde...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Day Dresses
- Black Gaultier² Hooded Sleeveless Dress Size US SBy Jena Paul GaultierLocated in New York, NYBlack hooded sleeveless dress by Gaultier². Drawstring tie at front neckline. 28" bust, 30" waist, 40" length, 13" shoulder width.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Day Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.