Creating Women’s Identity in Fashion: Objectification Within Norman Norell’s Classic Silhouette

Abstract

An analysis of American designer Norman Norell’s 1951 dinner dress and Norell’s classic silhouette at the
Texas Fashion Collection led to the examination of the mid-twentieth century and how misogyny related to the
society during this time. The investigation of misogyny in the fashion industry began with the evaluation Joanne
Entwistle’s article “Fashion and the Fleshy Body: Dress as Embodied Practice†which provided the preliminary
understanding of femininity, women’s identity, and fashion. By understanding social theory, feminist theory, and
the history of the mid-twentieth century, I am able to reinvestigate Norell’s work as a perpetuating factor of
misogyny in fashion. Beyond observations and analysis of Norell’s relationship to feminine identity in fashion,
I explore modern fashion and the changing nature of misogyny in the industry since the classic silhouette of
Norman Norell in core fashion areas like Vogue magazine.