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Black dress made from tuxedo wool designed by Claire McCardell (1905–1958) for Townley. Born in Frederick, Maryland, McCardell pioneered the creation of casual, comfortable American sportswear for women. Designing under the restrictions of rationing during World War II, McCardell utilized industrial brass closures and spaghetti strings instead of scarce zippers and repurposed the more available…

Dress

Description

Black dress made from tuxedo wool designed by Claire McCardell (1905–1958) for Townley. Born in Frederick, Maryland, McCardell pioneered the creation of casual, comfortable American sportswear for women. Designing under the restrictions of rationing during World War II, McCardell utilized industrial brass closures and spaghetti strings instead of scarce zippers and repurposed the more available menswear fabrics for her designs.

Creator

Date

circa 1945

Contributor(s)

Contributor(s) Notes

Townley Frocks (manufacturer)

Materials

Wool

Object ID

1998.20

Accession Number

1998.20

Resource ID

21111

Credit Line

Gift of Mary Elizabeth Bragg, 1998.

Digital Publisher

Digital resource provided by the Maryland Center for History and Culture

Rights

This digital image is made available here for private study, scholarship, and research. Commercial and other uses are prohibited without the permission of the Maryland Center for History and Culture. For more information, visit the MCHC’s Reproductions and Permissions web page.