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Wartime Chic: Three Every Day Essentials Originally Designed for the Function of War
They say that the key to invention is the need for function. The same goes for fashion. Most of what is modern day fashion is derived from functional design. More specifically, it is amazing how much of our modern day essentials come from military need. From tampons to duffle bags, sunglasses to outerwear, so much of our current every day life has evolved from war based design. Below are three of my favorite every day wardrobe essentials that were originally designed for wartime.
Full Skirts, Cinched Waists, and Women’s Rights
Today, when the name Christian Dior is heard, we think of couture gowns, sparkly fabrics and soft, sexy perfume ads. We also think about the gorgeous hourglass shape that his original dresses revolutionized. What we don’t think about is the repression that those dresses, as beautiful as they were, represented for the women of the time. In 1947, his debut collection was equated to “the Shot Heard ‘Round the World”, reforming the bore of rationed fashion. Whether the designer intended it to revert society into old ideas or simply meant to bring some sparkle back into a world that had been dulled by war, that “shot” ended up being one of many sparks that would light the match for a new wave of the fight for women’s rights.