Material in the 1950s

" Velvet was popular with tops, suits, dresses, and fitted jackets.  It was often combined with tulle and stiff cotton lace.  Transparent material in pretty shades such as organdies and chiffon was in too.

Advances in aniline dyes meant colours were bright and varied and prints were busy. "

http://www.mollysemporium.com/1950s-fashion

cowl neck coat 1950's

Full Skirt with Petticoat 1950's

 

 

petticoats is a underlayer of clothing hanging from the waist women applied befor they layer their main outfit on top, be a skirt or dress. the petticoat was best to give its desired shape to the womens figure.

at the time of the great depression preceding world war II had a really big affect on the people and a lot of cities around the world be a rich or poor. narrow skirts were back and the petticoats were unpopulare again.

petticoats were back to life again when Christian dior flashed the "newlook" this was like a new biggening for fashion and had a big change in peoples lives including men ladies hildern.. stiffened petticoats were extreamly popular in the 1950s especially for the teenage girls.

 

Chanel's Attitude and her 50's Silhouettes

Chanel was already criticising the boned bodices promoted by Dior as backward looking.  The emerging new society was only too willing to agree with her.   However as mentioned above, Dior's looser freer styles were partially the starting point for Quant's early designs.
Chanel was astute enough, to know that couture had a limited future.   Its influence was morphing into one that would culminate in branding and ready to wear designer labels in the next decades.  Couture Design House survival now depended not on the depleted 3000 private rich customers, but on selling designs to the mass market. 

A Chanel Suit Design

In Britain, Haute Couture models began to be licensed to companies like Wallis and soon provided a useful source of income.   Macy's of New York paid huge sums of money for an individual Toile, a linen or calico copy of the designer model garment.  
Every piece of information they needed to make the garment as a near copy would be provided.   Details of trimmings, buttons, fasteners etc were all part of the price paid.   With thousands of copies constructed, Macy's could afford to sell a dress worth $1000 for $100.   If they sold a superior more exact version as a limited copy, they could sell it as a designer original and reap the reward of a higher designer price.

http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s/1950s_8_society_never_had_it_so_good.htm

Teenage/Rock and Roll- (Style)

Pin up girl