Ode To An Icon: Celebrating The Dior Bar Jacket

Trends come and go, but every once in a while a piece comes along that truly changes the face of fashion. One such design is the Bar jacket, dreamt up by up-and-coming couturier Christian Dior in the aftermath of World War II. His New Look silhouette, defined by a nipped-in waist, rounded shoulders and basques that accentuated the smooth curves of the hip, was an ode to femininity – a symbol of romance and joie de vivre following years of austerity.

The jacket soon became a wardrobe icon, worn and loved by the world’s most stylish women (think Marlene Dietrich, then; and Alexa Chung, now). Over the years it’s been reworked and re-imagined, rendered in denim, checks, knits and black granite tweed, and now sits at the heart of the house’s permanent collection, 30 Montaigne.