Category: 1940-1949

Overview

1940-1949

1940-1949, 20th century, decade overview

All Entries

1948 – Christian Dior, Eugénie evening gown

1940-1949, 20th century, garment analysis

Christian Dior’s Eugénie ball gown drew on a nineteenth-century empress for inspiration and injected lighthearted, modern flair to create a fierce, feminine gown for a collection that contributed to the survival of French haute couture.

1942 – Gilbert Adrian, Evening dress

1940-1949, 20th century, garment analysis, LGBTQ+

Gilbert Adrian’s evening dress is fashionable because it followed the strict guidelines of General Limitation Order L-85 during World War II, but still was able to capture the sense of hopefulness felt by the American people with its playful and uplifting charm.

1948 – Christian Dior, Evening ensemble

1940-1949, 20th century, garment analysis, LGBTQ+

This Dior evening dress embodies the elegance of Dior’s 1948 collection and fashionably exhibits the New Look silhouette of the time.

1948-49 – Gilbert Adrian, Dinner dress

1940-1949, 20th century, garment analysis, LGBTQ+

This 1948 dinner dress by Gilbert Adrian is modest and feminine in silhouette but bold and artistic in pattern, taking inspiration from the cubist painter Braque.

Norell: Dean of American Fashion

1940-1949, 1950-1959, 1960-1969, 20th century, blog

Timeless design, clean silhouettes and sequins–The Museum at FIT takes a look at the innovative legacy of Norman Norell, an American designer that created luxurious ready-to-wear style.

1941 – Wyler, The Little Foxes

1900-1909, 1940-1949, film analysis

This film adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s play involves the corrupt dealings of a wealthy Southern family at the turn of the 20th century. The vicious Regina Giddens and her two greedy brothers scheme mercilessly in their attempt to make a fortune on a new cotton mill.

1947 – Preminger, Forever Amber

17th century, 1940-1949, film analysis

During Restoration England, a young and beautiful peasant named Amber St. Claire seduces her way to Buckingham Palace, but loses her first true love along the way.

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