To give a bit of background to the style; post war, there was a huge shortage of fabrics so things were cut close and there was no flair. When we got to the 1950s, all of a sudden people were getting their lives back, the men had come back home from the war, and of course a big skirt is much better when you’re dancing.
A lot more fabric was available, and so the tailoring of women’s clothes became a lot more feminine. Ladies weren’t able to be as feminine during the war as they were depended on to do men’s jobs, so the 50s style brought back those slim-waisted flared cuts.
The Textiles Team
More information about the Jubilee celebrations at Chatsworth can be found at http://www.chatsworth.org/jubilee
