My favorite fashion era is hands down post-World War II, when rationing on fabric finally ceased and fashion designers could once more let their imaginations run wild. Christian Dior led the pack with a couture show in 1947 that was quickly dubbed "The New Look" for its luxurious silhouette, comprising soft shoulders, nipped-in waists and billowing skirts. (It was, in fact, Carmel Snow, editor of US Harper's Bazaar, who declared, "It's quite a revelation, dear Christian. Your dresses have such a new look.")
According to the Design Museum:
Dior was correct in assuming that people wanted something new after years of war, brutality and hardship...Women had been mobilised during the war to work on farms and in factories while the men were away fighting. In peacetime those women were expected to return to passive roles as housewives and mothers, leaving their jobs free for the returning soldiers. The official paradigm of post-war womanhood was a capable, caring housewife who created a happy home for her husband and children.
