1970s Wrap Dresses

Wrap dresses complement every body type.

The wrap dress, introduced in the 1940s by U.S. fashion designer Claire McCardell, served as a perfect complement to sportswear, America's finest contribution to fashion, according to Richard Martin, historian at the Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1972, 29-year-old Diane von Furstenberg made a splash with her affordable, feminine but practical jersey wrap dresses in bright colors. Considered emblematic of 1970s fashion, von Furstenberg's wrap dresses hang in the Smithsonian Institution and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sportswear History

On the road to the wrap dress, an example of a shirtwaist dress.

Originally designed for participating in or attending sporting events, sportswear quickly became a symbol of U.S. fashion, suitable for both day and evening. Emerging in the 1930s, casual dress pants, shirtwaist dresses and knitwear separates comprised America's informal wardrobe during and after World War II. Exercising independence from the French couture that dominated fashion, sportswear designers rethought affordable, practical fashion for modern women. Easy to care for and wear, sportswear allowed the modern woman more freedom of movement -- a new concept to those used to wearing restrictive couture on a daily basis.

Characteristics

A wrap dress with a bold print

While tying, wrapping and eliminating ornaments were ingredients in sportswear, von Furstenberg's wrap dress -- made of a stretchy jersey fabric that tied at the waist -- introduced bright, bold prints and patterns to women's fashion. A deep V-neckline, created by crossing the robe-like dress across the body and tying it with a wide sash, resulted in a fitted bodice with long sleeves and a flared skirt that grazed the knees and flattered every figure. Sexy without being too revealing, the versatile dress is comfortable and travels well.

Flattering for Every Figure

By 1975, von Furstenberg was producing 15,000 dresses a week, yielding millions of dollars in sales, reported CNN correspondent Hilary Whiteman in 2008. Undeniably, von Furstenberg was selling a lifestyle. Like any great invention, the original wrap dress inspired many designers, such as Halston, Mollie Parnis and Stephen Burrows, who put their own spin on the silhouette. It also spurred copies for years to come at lower price points from such pattern makers as Belinda Belville and retailers including Maggie London, Target, Calvin Klein, Nine West, Forever 21 and Banana Republic.

The Tradition Continues

Season after season, the wrap dress was re-imagined, reinvented and redesigned for clientele ranging from downtown party-goers to the Park Avenue set. According to Carola Long in the March 27, 2008, issue of "The Independent," due to over-distribution in the 1980s, the fashion market became saturated with wrap dresses, and von Furstenberg sold her inventory to pay off debts. In 1997, when she noticed young women wearing her vintage dresses, she reintroduced her signature wrap dress at Saks Fifth Avenue, reigniting interest in the style that has yet to slow.

References

• DVF.com: Diane von Furstenberg Biography
• Metropolitan Museum of Art; Wrap Dress, 1975-76; Richard Martin
• Victoria and Albert Museum: Sportswear Chic
• CNN; From Wrap Dress to Riches; Hilary Whiteman; November 2008
• Metropolitan Museum of Art; American Ingenuity: Sportswear 1930s-1970s; Richard Martin
• "The Independent"; Wrap Superstar: Designer Diane von Furstenberg Tells Her Story; Carola Long; March 2008

Resources

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