Couture and Commerce: The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s

Karen Danielson, Ph.D., is a research consultant at Laurentian
University who specializes in leisure, textiles, family life, and Japan.

Palmer begins her meticulously researched account of the dramatic
changes in women’s fashion that took place after the Second World War
with a discussion of haute couture and the etiquette for purchasing from
private salons in Paris. She discusses buying, merchandising, and
marketing in Toronto, drawing attention to the bond models that entered
Canada because of postwar import restrictions in the United States.

During this period, women spent from 10 to 20 percent of family income
on fashion. The links between the art of living, functional fashion,
commerce, and charity were complex: short skirts were linked to
scarcity; garments that could serve for many years suited the reserved
Canadian style; fashion entertainment and recycling activities were
important fundraisers; and opportunities to purchase were determined by
one’s place in the community. The period also witnessed a shift from
mature women to young women as ideal candidates for the best-dressed
lists. Other changes included the transition from unique and original
garments to multiple copies and the shift in focus from fashion for the
professional volunteer to fashion for the working woman.

This handsomely produced volume features many illustrations of models,
garment tags, and advertisements as well as records from commercial
transactions and garment maintenance. The full-color photographs and
accompanying captions should serve as an inspiration for textile
artists. Reading Couture and Commerce would also enhance a visit to the
Royal Ontario Museum where many of the original garments are preserved.