Christian Dior created the 1950s “New Look” silhouette, defined by a cinched waist, rounded shoulders, and a full skirt.
Dior presented the look in Paris in February 1947 as part of his first haute couture collection for the house he had founded. Carmel Snow, editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar, reportedly called the collection a “New Look,” and the phrase quickly entered fashion vocabulary.
The style used substantial fabric at a time when wartime rationing had encouraged simpler clothing. Its generous skirts and sculpted shape therefore suggested a return to luxury and femininity after World War II.
The term describes a broader silhouette rather than one single garment. Dior’s Bar suit, with its fitted jacket and full skirt, became one of the collection’s best-known examples.