Models sport The New Look in this 1953 photograph by Mark Shaw. “The First Thirteen Diors, 1953”, offered by Liz O’Brien.
The New Look
The silhouette introduced by couturier Christian Dior at his first namesake collection in 1947. The New Look is characterized by soft, rounded shoulders; a prominent bust; a waspish waistlines; and long, voluminous skirts. Dior’s return to a “pretty,” highly feminized style was a direct reaction to years of wartime austerity. Due to its novelty, the fashion press christened it “The New Look” and this cinched-waist, ladylike ideal quickly became the predominant silhouette of the 1950s.
