There's no look more iconic than the Dior "Bar" suit of 1947. The exaggerated silhouette and free use of fabric galvanized a fashion industry that had faced strict wartime rationing, and ushered in the post-World War II era.
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Christian Dior, "Bar" suit,Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/C.I.58.34.30_C.I.69.40 |
The label, which indicates it was made for Neiman Marcus' flagship store in Dallas, is of the style used in the post-war 1940s, meaning the jacket must have been made shortly after Dior's groundbreaking debut. I've said it before, I'll say it again, vintage labels are a godsend, and so is the Vintage Fashion Guild.
Beyond being just a terrific guild for a vintage clothing hound, it means a lot to me-- it's from the same store my brother and I went to when I visited him in Dallas. I love having pieces created in the same city in which I've found them, so on many levels, I'm so thrilled to have this jacket.
To mimic the "Bar" suit silhouette, I paired it with a long wool Pendleton skirt, and added a crinoline underneath to give it just a little volume. The hat--from the same place as the suit jacket!--is also from Neiman Marcus' Dallas store, made only a few years after the jacket.
I wanted to photograph this so much earlier, but man, the holidays are not the time to try and fit into a Dior-inspired suit--especially since I don't have a waist cincher. As it is, I took these right after a breakfast of French toast. ...I've had better ideas.