Never one to mince his words on the subject of style, Christian Dior in 1954 released the house’s “Little Dictionary of Fashion” littered with sartorial advice and the occasional acerbic gem. Here, some highlights:
Age: “As far as age is concerned, there are only two ages — girlhood and womanhood. (There are also grandmothers — but it is only necessary to dress as a grandmother if you have a certain kind of figure and lead a certain kind of life.)”
Bows: “I love bows to close a décolleté, trim a hat or to fasten a belt. I like them big, small or enormous, in any way and in any material.”
Cosmetics: “Too much makeup is now very old-fashioned. You don’t have to be under strong lights like an actress on stage, so there is no need to be made up like one.”
Décolleté: “Nothing is more becoming. Nothing is more feminine. Nothing is more attractive.”
Dots: “They are lovely, elegant, easy and always in fashion. I never get tired of dots.”
Earrings: “Except in the country, I always like to see women wearing earrings….I always ask my models to have pierced ears.”
Hairstyles: “You can never take enough care of your hair, but by that I don’t mean that I like a very elaborate hair dressing. I hate it….I hate dyed hair. The color God has given to you is always the best and matches with your personality.”
Handbags: “Don’t forget, a bag is not a wastepaper basket! …Have a place in it for everything…. And don’t mix your lipstick with your bank notes and your handkerchief.”
Nylon: “Personally, I have never made a dress in nylon. I think this material has to be studied for years before it will be very good for dresses, except for a kind of sport or beach clothes.”
Pink: “The sweetest of all colors.”
Sable: “The queen of all furs. The most beautiful, the most expensive. The most becoming. I love it.”
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Suits: “Today it is, perhaps, the most important garment you can have.”
Tweeds: “I think they are extremely elegant. To wear them in the country is a ‘must.'”
The Way You Walk: “Not so many years ago, girls were taught how to walk and I think it was quite right. A lot of women today should go back to school again and learn the art of walking well because it is extremely important.”
Zest: “This is a happy word with which to end my dictionary of fashion. Anything you do, work or pleasure, you have to do it with zest.”