White, blue, and black plaid cotton dress designed by Claire McCardell (1905-1958) for the label Claire McCardell Clothes by Townley. McCardell’s shirtwaist dress became immensely popular, selling by the thousands with each new iteration. The mitered skirt waist created a clean silhouette, and the large Dolman sleeves afforded more mobility than other designs on the…

Shirt dress

Description

White, blue, and black plaid cotton dress designed by Claire McCardell (1905-1958) for the label Claire McCardell Clothes by Townley. McCardell’s shirtwaist dress became immensely popular, selling by the thousands with each new iteration. The mitered skirt waist created a clean silhouette, and the large Dolman sleeves afforded more mobility than other designs on the market. This dress shows off McCardell’s characteristic attention to detail such as pattern matching and the effect of cutting and piecing on the bias in a playful way. Born in Frederick, Maryland, McCardell pioneered the creation of casual, comfortable American sportswear for women.

Creator

McCardell, Claire, 1905-1958

Date

1935-1955

Contributor(s)

Townley Frocks, Inc.

Contributor(s) Notes

Townley Frocks (Manufacturer)

Materials

Cotton, plastic buttons

Dimensions

Bust: 34'' Waist: 26'' Shoulder: ~22'' Skirt Length: 27.5'' Sleeve: 25'' from the neck to cuff

Object ID

2022.25.1

Accession Number

2022.25

Resource ID

22077

Credit Line

Gift of Marlene Young, 2022.25.1

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.