Dior's suits contained padding at the hips to achieve an ever more exaggerated hour-glass look. Dior added flounces or peplums (usually made of gathers or tucks) to the back of all his suit tops. Further, nearly all his skirts had built in back flounces (similar to the smaller built-in bustles of the Victorian era); these were usually pieces of taffeta, organza, or some other stuff fabric gathered tightly at one end and sewn to the centre back of the skirt at the waist.

Separate bustle or farthingale-like garments could also be worn to further enhance the figure. These were also made of stiff material and gathered tightly, although they were often made of several layers and were worn all around the waist-not just at the back. Such garments were frequently sewn to a fabric belt and buttoned at the waist.

Dior's famous 'Bar' suit

Original sketch for the 'Bar' suit

The "waspie" and other New Look corsets also accentuated the bust somewhat, but most women wearing The Look also used push-up bras to help fill out their bust line. Some of these newly invented push-up bras also contained rubber padding. Women who needed further help were told by fashion magazines to sew a taffeta or acetate ruffle to the bust line of their bra.

The number one item Dior used to make his long (twelve inches or less from the ground) skirts stand full was another borrowed Victorian item: The New Look petticoat, reminiscent of early Victorian petticoats. Most New Look petticoats were made of stuff nylon, taffeta, or horsehair net. Most often they had a fitted hip yolk leading to several smooth layers of netting that ended with a few ruffles. In order to avoid snags in nylon stockings, Dior ingeniously softened the bottom ruffles of his petticoats with eyelet.

(c) 1992 by Kristina Harris