Fashion After World War Two
This display looks at the changes in women’s dress following the
Second World War.
In Britain, austerity and rationing
continued for several years after the war ended in 1945. For most
women in this period, fabrics and clothing continued to be in very
short supply. This explains the excitement and controversy that
surrounded the launch of Christian Dior’s famous New Look of 1947.
This style was a radical departure from war-time fashions in that
it featured lavish use of material to form wide, calf-length
skirts.
The full-skirted styles that derived from the
New Look remained in fashion through the 1950s. Leading Paris
designers like Balenciaga and Dior also continued to experiment
with new, silhouettes and styles that influenced the wider market
for women’s fashion.
The room features a chiffonier to the left of
the window. Also, a portrait of an unknown woman of the
second half of the 19th century is above the fireplace.