February 1950 - californian designers introduced the circle skirts

By all the rules of fashion logic the newly popular circle skirts make no sense. At a time when slim silhouette is the rule, these are very voluminous. Instead of appearing first in the costliest price ranges and filtering gradually down to popular level, they have recently zoomed to popularity in all price levels ($6 to $100) at the same time. And instead of being introduced in the east and moving gradually west like most fashions, they made their first U.U. appearance in California and moved gradually east. They are ideal for home entertaining because their big, novel patterns become immediate conversation pieces. They go well with simple blouses or sweaters. 

Perfect circles are formed by new skirts. Center: "Happy Train" runs around hem of Charlot felt skirt ($70). Clockwise from upper left: large-patterned flowered print (Alice of California, $10.95); pueblo village on white cotton (Madison Sportswear, $10.95); pink strong man on black felt (Charlot, $70); "Americana" farm community (Zukin, $17.95); a still life hand-painted "in the manner of braque" on artist's canvas (Charlot, $100); cotton batik (Crystal, $10.95).

Socialite hostess Natalie Friede wears a Bergdorf Goodman $70 circle skirt of felt which has a spider-and-fly legend appliqued in felt and sequins.

Carrer girl hostess Joan Wilson wears Zukin's $17.95 cotton skirt which has over-all antique pattern, with the season's popular sleeveless blouse.

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photos and documentation: LIFE Magazine (US) | Zetu Harrys collection.