2. 1. Noun – a long skirt gathered at the
waist.
A garment hanging from the waist;
mainly worn by girls and women.

3. - FATHER OF COUTURE -
“Charles Frederick Worth, the designer who dominated Parisian fashion in the
latter half of the nineteenth century, was born in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England,
on October 13, 1825”
“Prize-winning designs displayed in the Great Exhibition in London (1851) and
the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1855). Worth opened his own firm with a
business partner in 1858.”
“Worth built his design house into a huge business during the last quarter of the
nineteenth century. His sons, Gaston-Lucien and Jean-Philippe, took over their
father's business following his death in 1895 The house flourished during the
sons' tenure and into the 1920s. The great fashion dynasty finally came to an
end in 1952 when Charles Frederick Worth's great-grandson, Jean-Charles,
retired from the family business.”
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wrth/hd_wrth.htm

4. “Worth's designs are notable for his use of lavish fabrics and trimmings, his incorporation of elements of
historic dress, and his attention to fit. While the designer still created one-of-a-kind pieces for his most
important clients, he is especially known for preparing a variety of designs that were shown on live models at
the House of Worth. Clients made their selections and had garments tailor-made in Worth's workshop.”

5. • Christian Dior’s new collection went down in fashion history as the
"New Look" after the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazzare Carmel Snow
exclaimed, "It's such a New Look!“ The silhouette was characterized by a
small, nipped-in waist and a full skirt falling below mid-calf length, which
emphasized the bust and hips, as epitomized by the 'Bar' suit from the
first collection. At a time of post-war fabric restrictions, Dior used up to
twenty yards of extravagant fabrics for his creations, favoring the luxury
textiles of Robert Perrier. The New Look became extremely popular, its
full-skirted silhouette influencing other fashion designers well into the
1950s, and Dior gained a number of prominent clients from Hollywood,
the United States, and the European aristocracy. As a result, Paris, which
had fallen from its position as the capital of the fashion world after
WWII, regained its preeminence. The New Look was welcomed in
western Europe as a refreshing antidote to the austerity of wartime and
de-feminizing uniforms, and was embraced by stylish women such
as Princess Margaret in the UK.”
• ”While the House of Dior is still a thriving business today, Dior's untimely
death in 1957 left the fashion world without a great dictator of style.
Christian Dior designed under his own name for only a decade, but his
influence will be felt for many years to come.”
“Christian Dior was a French couturier, best
known for his eponymous fashion house
which is often referred to as just Dior.”

6. (From left to right) 1.) Christian Dior and Grace Kelly, 2.)Sophia Loren wearing Christian Dior
dress, 3.) Grace Kelly’s Paris dress in the movie “Rear Window”, 4.) Christian Dior 2012 Runway
show in Paris.

7. • “The New Look shape of 1947 carried over into the skirts worn in the ‘50s. They
were tight at the natural waist and were either very full or very fitted. They are very
figure flattering and really fun to wear which is why 1950s skirts are a must have
items in any vintage fashion lover’s wardrobe. ”
• “The full skirt was popular because it was flattering. The fullness hid big hips and
made waists look smaller. The fuller the skirt the more magic it had on slimming
waistlines. Adding a wide cinch belt over the skirt band created an even more
“wasp waist” look. ”
• “Skirts came in long or mid shin lengths. Floor length skirts were the most popular
for lounging at home or in formal wear settings. The mid shin length was the most
common length for anything from housework to dancing.”
(Source) http://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-fashion-history-skirts/

8. • Bell: The shape of this dress resembles
the shape of a bell. It is mostly seen in
the skirt with its gently rounded slopes.
• This was the starting silhouette of the full
skirt in the 19th century – Charles
Frederick Worth.
• The Bell Silhouette is still commonly used
today especially in wedding gowns and
dresses designed for special events or
dances.
(Source)
http://aristasia-
central.com/heartbook/adelaide/2012/04/
silhouettes-for-dresses-and-skirts/

9. • I would consider the Fashion flow
of a full skirt to be apart of the
Downward Flow (trickle down
effect) Theory. Like the graph
shows, the full skirt design starts
out in Haute Couture, then trickles
down through Luxury Fashion,
Bridge Bands, Diffusion Lines, High
Street, then Economy brands.

10. (From left to right)
1.) Jessica Alba – short full skirt
2.) Zendaya Coleman – long full skirt
3.) Garcelle Beauvais – midi full skirt.
(Source)
http://hellobeautiful.com/2014/08/13
/where-to-buy-long-full-skirts/
“A-Line: A dress with a less then
defined waist that flares out as the legs
of the letter “A” do.”
(Source)
http://aristasia-
central.com/heartbook/adelaide/2012
/04/silhouettes-for-dresses-and-skirts/

11. • “The circle skirt was the least bulky of the full skirts. The pattern was
cut form one very large square piece in the shape of a doughnut. The
inside circle was the waist measurement and the outside circle created
the fullness. The skirts hang beautifully in drapes that swing with
movement. You can understand why they were so popular with the
teen dancing set. They are also easy to make”

12. • Crinoline: Full skirts with an underskirt made of
tulles or other stiff materials.

13. • Full skirts can come in a range of many color choices. Better quality fabrics and threads most be used in order to
help create the “full” effect of the skirt.
• Techniques such as pleating, rouching, and gathering are also used to give definition and fullness to these pieces.
• Couture designers use many embellishments, embroidery, beads, sequins, and other fine details in order to
create more special effects to the pieces they design.

14. There are many celebrities who love to sport the classy trend of wearing a full skirt. Taylor swift has always been known for her “red
lip” classy style and does really well at wearing short, full skirts. Audrey Hepburn is a historical icon for having a classy, lady-like fashion
which normally incorporated full skirts. Adelle is one of the most notorious voices of our century. She portrays a classy look in every
piece of her musical artwork and personal style. The fuller skirts really flatter her curvy figure as well. Last but not least, Anne
Hathaway. This is a celebrity I have always admired for her classic beauty and true feminine fashion choices. She has been seen out
wearing full skirts multiple times.

15. The full skirt design will most definitely be seen at special events or dances like prom, the Oscar’s, The Grammy’s, Met
Gala Ball, and presidential inaugurations.
(From left to right) 1.) Model for a Prom 2015 collection, 2.) Rihanna at the Grammy’s, 3.) Jennifer Lopez at the Ocar’s.

16. The full skirt has definitely
taken a large role in the
wedding gown industry. Here,
designer Vera Wang has
correlated the affect into her
wedding gowns. Wang is
notorious for her beautiful,
detailed wedding gowns and
has many celebrity clients
including Kim Kardashian and
Kate Hudson.
Both women are wearing wedding downs designed by the infamous Vera Wang
1.) Kim Kardashian- https://thediaryqueen.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/vera-wang-
bridal-gown-creation-for-kim-kardashian/
2.) Kate Hudson- http://rachaelmcpherson.com/2014/01/our-visit-to-vera-wang-bridal-
to-try-on-wedding-dresses/

17. Many other modern day, major fashion designers have adopted the full skirt into their regular seasonal
lines. (From left to right) 1.) Alexander McQueen, 2.) Betsey Johnson 3.) Michael Kors.

18. Many Bridge and Better markets have incorporated the full skirt affect into their own design lines as well. Here, we see
the fuller silhouettes trickling down into modern day society trends. I chose to feature the plus size department to prove
that even in that market (a smaller one than regular women’s wear) you will see this classic piece is here to stay.
(From left to right) 1.) Current day Macy’s full skirt selection, 2.) Christina Mendez modeling for Ashley Stewart’s line, 3.)
Current day Lane Bryant’s full skirt selection.

19. I thoroughly enjoyed researching and creating a presentation on the classic piece of the
full skirt. Considering this piece has been apart of fashion industry since the beginning of
haute couture, I feel confident in saying that the full skirt is here to stay. I also enjoyed
learning facts and how the birth of some of the famous design houses came about –
House of Worth and Dior. It was also interesting to learn how history incorporated heavily
into the effect of what fashions were embraced or because of resources - could even be
offered. I also noticed how implanted the full skirt is in fashion design all around – and we
go everyday seeing it without even fully recognizing it. It is almost like it is expected or
“natural” for society to predict that will be in design lines.
Overall, I have a new admiration for the full skirt and I have even been browsing through
shopping sites to see what silhouettes go best with my body type and what kind of styles I
like the most.
The full skirt is here to stay!

20. • Slide 1- http://www.justthedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Full-Skirts12.jpg
• Slide 2 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Portrait_of_Charles_Frederick_Worth_aged_30.jpg
• Slide 3 - http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_C.I.49.3.25a,b.jpg
• Slide 5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Dior_SE, http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/biographies/christian-dior,
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dior/hd_dior.htm ,
• Slide 6- http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/03/16/article-1258314-08219D7A000005DC-211_634x654.jpg,
https://www.google.com/search?q=circle+skirt&espv=2&biw=1067&bih=533&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0
ahUKEwjR1LS5xdnJAhWEwiYKHTtHBLkQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=christian+dior+full+skirt+1950+&imgrc=wJc1GMhm
_8_DJM%3A , https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4d/91/f4/4d91f41abffc446052c70f98d468cc7b.jpg,
• Slide 9- http://www.buyquinceaneradress.com/products/big/63/201211210030482.jpg
• Slide 11- http://www.merricksart.com/2014/05/easy-circle-skirt-tutorial.html, http://aristasia-
central.com/heartbook/adelaide/2012/04/silhouettes-for-dresses-and-skirts/,
http://vintagedancer.com/1950s/1950s-fashion-history-skirts/, http://www.sewweekly.com/2012/04/the-bowled-
over-circle-skirt/
• Slide 12 - http://www.ebay.com/bhp/black-petticoat, http://aristasia-
central.com/heartbook/adelaide/2012/04/silhouettes-for-dresses-and-skirts/,