Christian Dior Style: The New Look

The New Look was popularised after WW2 and still provides a dainty but sophisticated way of dressing. Wear Dresses, Not Trousers. Christian Dior’s women did not wear trousers. Instead, they wore dresses and skirts (including skirt suits) both as daywear and eveningwear. Hem lines were quite long, generally, falling between the knee and mid-calf, but they did vary with each season so don’t get too hung up on them. If you must wear trousers, try some smart Capri pants, although really these did not come into fashion until the following decade.
Cinch in Your Waist

The New Look figure was very much an hourglass one, with large bust and hips and a tiny waist. If you feel up to it, you can get some support underwear or even a corset to reign yourself in. If not, wear high-waisted skirts and tuck in your tops. This will define the top and bottom halves of your body differently and, by breaking at the waist, will give some definition to your midriff. Also, belts can be handy for drawing attention to a slim waist but if you go straight up and down (or even out!) don’t bother – you won’t fool anyone.

Do Your Hair and Makeup

The Dior style means exquisite grooming. You must always look perfectly put together. Dior’s mannequins spent a long time on their hair and makeup and it shows. You needn’t wear a lot or do a lot but what you do much look neat and tidy. A perfect complexion is a must – once you have that, you can’t go far wrong with everything else. Always carry spare makeup in a bag for touch-ups, though.

Dress Conservatively

This doesn’t mean avoiding bright colours or modern patterns altogether but it does mean using them with caution. Sweet florals are nice, but nothing too chintzy. Definitely stay away from graphic prints and geometrics – those are far too 1960s. The New Look as we think of it tends to use block colour. Black and white is always a nice combination, evoking the photographs in which we see Dior’s style.

Accessorise!

Dior piled on the accessories and you must do the same. Matching jewellery is a must, with pearls and gold being particularly prominent. Your shoes and handbag ought to match too, which was a fashion started in the 1930s but which was still important in the 1950s. Don’t wear too high a heel – mid-height or kitten heels work best, and certainly something you can walk in. Always wear gloves and a hat. They are the defining features of the Dior accessory world and will evoke that vintage era perfectly.

by: Suzanne Burlton

Posted in: Fashion Designers