c. 1948-1949

Coat

Christian Dior’s first collection of 1947—christened the “new look” by the editor of Harper’s Bazaar—redefined the fashionable postwar silhouette. Dior emphasized the voluptuousness of the female form with rounded shoulders, nipped-in waists, full hips, and long, voluminous skirts. This coat from a later collection features a fitted top with sleeves cut in with the body and a snug waistline, while the skirt flares dramatically, thanks to gores and pleats, producing a diagonal line emphasized by pocket flaps at the hips.