50's fashion from the V & A in London

After WWII, when women wore simple, very conservative and excrutiatingly sensible clothing to support the "war effort", designers went nuts. They used tons of fabric and had a blast with feminity.   Lauren Bacall didn't hurt!  She brought "The Look" to a new height when during her movie with Humphrey Bogart she perfected the fashion trend.  Granted it was a trend, which I'm not high on, but a classic one that had a lot of great style and endurance. The design on the left is Dior's with Humphrey & Bacall (in her traditional "The Look" form) on the right.

The V & A (Victoria & Albert Museum in London), put on a fabulous exhibit, almost exclusively European, of some of the more well-known designers who elevated fashion again after the long war in Europe.

With books like Balenciaga, Dior by Dior and The Little Dictionary of Fashion, obviously something no well-dressed lady of the time could do without, the era is once again in vogue.   During this time, designers were dictators.  You wouldn't dream of venturing out your front door without the appropriate accessory, jewelry, and garment for that particular occasion.  And although they were the last word in fashion, most of them had a great responsibility not to abuse or joke about their vocation and turned out magnificently made and well thought-out garments.  All that changed in the 60's & 70's, but during  the 50's the designers ran the show!

I never made the exhibit, not for want of going, more for the lack of time and finances, but you can visit the V & A shop online and peruse through some of the gems from the exhibit.  During this period, I was first introduced to fashion.  I remember my wonderful glam aunts being as impeccably dressed as they were fun and gay to be with.  What fun to have all these ladies as mentors.  One is still alive and her son has immortalized her here.  She cut a wide path in her day, and even today still has the elegance of her time.