UNIT B

EVOLUTION AND
MOVEMENT OF
FASHION
2.03 Recognize the relationship between
historical events and fashion evolution.
Mood of the decade
• World War II
– Women re-entered the
workforce
– Parisian Fashion houses closed
their doors due to German
invasion of Paris
– American fashion designers
emerged
– Shorter skirts
– Sloppy Joe sweaters
– Bikini introduced
 Mood of the decade
• World War II (cont.)
– L-85 (General Limitations Order)
restricted amount of fabric used in
production of apparel.
• Designers had to create fashions that
would remain stylish through multiple
seasons.
• A new style of suits for women had
short skirts and short jackets of
twenty-five inches or less in length.
• Sheath evening dresses replaced the
long flowing gowns of the thirties.
Mood of the decade
• World War II (cont.)
– Restrictions limited use of
silk, wool, rubber, metal
– Tailored masculine-looking
suit
– The young danced the
jitterbug.
Mood of the decade
• World War II (cont.)
– Postwar fashion freedom
• Women wanted a return to
more feminine designs.
• Christian Dior introduced the
“New Look” with rounded
shoulders, fuller bustlines, and
fuller skirts fifteen inches off
the ground.
• Paris was re-established as
the center of the fashion
world.
 People who influenced fashion

• Christian Dior—designer of the

“New Look”; first to license name
• Norman Norrell—winner of the first
Coty American Fashion Critics
Award; founder of CFDA
• Cristobal Balenciaga—known for
huge evening coats, long, full skirts,
pillbox hats, and chemise dresses
 People who influenced fashion
• Jacques Fath—first French designer
to export designs to the United
States
• Elsa Schiaparelli—known for surreal
designs and bold use of color
• Adrian—Hollywood costume
designer whose screen fantasies
influenced street fashions