Bias

Cutting on the bias was hugely popular for dresses and skirts of the interwar years and its popularity has never really faded. By cutting diagonally to the weft of the fabric, a bias cut facilitates the modeling of a garment, by allowing the material to hug the body and then hang in a flowing and loose fashion. It is thought that cutting on the bias was invented by Madame Vionnet. In fact, it already existed but was only used for trims and little collar or wrist details. It is therefore fair to say that it was created by Madame Vionnet, who extended its use when her workshop reopened in 1918 after World War I. She explored and exploited all the creative potential that the bias cut offered, using it mainly for evening dresses and suits. Having invented this new technique, a new curvaceous and flowing silhouette of a women’s figure was born, one that was copied throughout the 1930s and still survives today.