Fashion History Classics: Who invented the Pencil Skirt?
French fashion designer Christian Dior first introduced the classic modern pencil skirt in the late 1940s using the term “H-Line” to describe its shape. It is in stark contrast to Dior’s full-skirted New Look in his “A-line.”
The slim-fitted pencil skirt with a straight, narrow cut falls to, or just below, the knee and is therefore named for its shape: long and slim like a pencil.
Due to women’s desire for a new style after World War II and Dior’s predictable execution of reinventing fashion, the pencil skirt quickly became very popular, particularly for business and office wear.
