frfashion1-10, Exercise 2: Testing an anecdote

Model answer (check the details), using Carmel Snow naming the "New Look":

Evidence that supports it: reports in the American press of 1947 using the phrase, and accounts by people who were at the show or worked for Harper's Bazaar. The phrase was certainly used in English from 1947.

Who told it and when: the story is told in books and articles, often attributed to Carmel Snow's reaction at the show, and some versions differ on her exact words (check). Much of it comes from memoirs and retellings, and the house of Dior has an interest in the story.

What to want to see: the first printed use of the phrase in a dated magazine or newspaper; an account by someone present at the show; the Harper's Bazaar issue that covered the collection; and the French press, which used a different term (the Corolle line).

Conclusion: the phrase "New Look" and its link with Snow are plausible and widely repeated, but the exact moment and wording should be treated as reported until the earliest printed use is found.

Care: a story repeated in many books may come from one source. The same method applies to the Nan Kempner story.