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

An analysis of American designer Norman Norell’s 1951 dinner dress and Norell’s classic silhouette at theTexas Fashion Collection led to the examination of the mid-twentieth century and how misogyny related to thesociety during this time. The investigation of misogyny in the fashion industry began with the evaluation JoanneEntwistle’s article “Fashion and the Fleshy Body: Dress as Embodied Practice” which provided the preliminaryunderstanding of femininity, women’s identity, and fashion. By understanding social theory, feminist theory, andthe history of the mid-twentieth century, I am able to reinvestigate Norell’s work as a perpetuating factor ofmisogyny 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 ofNorman Norell in core fashion areas like Vogue magazine.