Fashion Glossary: Empire Waist
An empire waist or empire silhouette is a bodice style where the bodice is most fitted at the bust and ends just below the bustline. The style flows out from the bustline and gives the illusion of a higher waistline.
This style rose to popularity in the early 1800s as women’s fashions began to opt for cleaner lines and a more natural, soft silhouette.
The style reemerged in the 1960s as yet another rejection of societal standards on women’s dress. No longer were women cinched in girdles to create the extreme hourglass figure of Dior’s New Look from the 1950s.
The empire waist can be found on flowing bohemian maxi gowns and scandalous babydoll minis from the 1960s. Blazing the trail for a new, new look.
Illustration by Leah Shkolnick. Frame by Sharon Dennard.
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