Bonnie Cashin in Detail

June 28, 2023

Elizabeth Shaeffer, Assistant Conservator, The Costume Institute

“Simplicity is the hardest thing to explain and not many people can understand it. It requires an understanding of texture, color, scale—and it is the simplicity which makes a design good.”

– Bonnie Cashin¹

Bonnie Cashin (1908–2000) was a highly influential and original American fashion designer whose enduring impact on the industry continues to this day. Among the first designers to popularize sportswear, Cashin created informal yet sophisticated garments that were functional, seasonless, and collectible. Her unfussy and innovative creations were aimed at women on the go. Cashin’s love of travel and the outdoors was a major inspiration for her work, which was characterized by clean lines, vivid colors, textured fabrics, and leather details. Her approach focused on creating practical clothing with high quality materials that was not merely trendy, but timeless.

Cashin, as well as her longtime manufacturing partner Philip Sills, was conscious of her significance and legacy. They donated some of her designs to The Met, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and other institutions throughout her career.

Front and back views of two above-the-ankle-length skirts with waistlines that form a “V” in front and back and curve up over the ribs on the side. The pinkish-orange skirt at left falls in undulating folds at the front and is draped in bustle-like swags at the back. On the right, the pea-green skirt is stiffer, with fewer folds at front and a more angular back drape.

Left: Bonnie Cashin (American, 1908–2000). Evening skirt, 1955. Cotton, wool, leather. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Bonnie Cashin, 1963 (2009.300.7236). Right: Bonnie Cashin (American, 1908–2000). Evening skirt, 1957. Cotton, wool, synthetic fiber, metal, suede. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Philip Sills, 1981 (2009.300.8024).

The Costume Institute’s collection boasts two donated evening skirts that showcase Cashin’s mid-1950s vision of casual elegance (2009.300.7236 and 2009.300.8024). These ballerina-length skirts—shorter in front for ease of movement—feature cascading drapery at the back and narrow, color-coordinated suede ties that accentuate the waist. They are nearly identical in their cut and are expertly patterned from single lengths of fabric with minimal seams. The waistlines of these skirts are “V”-shaped and curve up dramatically at the sides, with carefully placed darts stiffened with boning to create a flattering fit that hugs the torso.

While the two skirts share a similar design, their materials set them apart. The first skirt is made of a vibrant orange, pink, and red slubbed silk and synthetic textile from Boris Kroll. This mediumweight fabric drapes gracefully in gentle folds, creating a sense of fluidity and movement. In contrast, the second skirt is made of a thicker fabric by Dorothy Liebes, which combines cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, and metallic strips in tones of green, beige, and gold. Its chenille yarns and chunky weave create a more substantial, structured look that falls more heavily, providing a sense of weight and texture.

At left, a tightly woven basketweave fabric with wefts alternating between orange yarns with slubs and red yarns mostly hidden by narrow pink warps. At right, a chunkier fabric with wide beige warp yarns woven in pairs and many types of wefts: fuzzy sage green chenille, smooth pale green twists, thin pea green wool yarns, and gold metal strips.

Details of the fabrics from Boris Kroll (left, 2009.300.7236) and Dorothy Liebes (right, 2009.300.8024), displayed at the same scale.

Each skirt also has distinct finishing details. The green skirt, which has substantial body, was finished simply by binding the edges of the seam allowances at waist, hem, and center front with shantung bias tape. A waist stay, approximately one inch wide and encased with bias-cut shantung, was tacked to the boning casings. Its back corners were covered by the waistline binding tape to create a neat and secure finish.

At left, an interior view of the green skirt’s waistline and center back closure, which is finished with a narrow taupe bias tape. The waist and hip areas are shaped by three darts per side, each of which is stiffened by a piece of boning encased in a taupe bias tape channel. A waist stay is sewn into the center front of the skirt and tacked to each of the six bones. The back ends of the waist stay are secured beneath the bias tape that edges the waistline. At right, the green skirt is laid flat on a table with the bias-cut center front seam towards the left and the center back fold on the right. The hem is turned up to show a one-and-a-half-inch seam allowance with the cut edge bound with taupe bias tape.

Details of 2009.300.8024’s waist and hem finishing.

In contrast, the orange fabric, with its looser drape, required more stiffening at the waist and hem. The curves above the waist were lined with bias-cut shantung and interlined with canvas cut on grain to provide additional structure. The shantung-encased waist stay was tacked to the boning casings as in the green skirt but was left loose at the back. It also closes with its own metal hooks and thread eyes instead of being integrated into the waistline finish. The hem on this skirt is much deeper than the other and is tucked at intervals to take up fullness where the hem curves.

At left, an interior view of the orange skirt’s waistline and center back closure. The waist and hip areas are shaped by three darts on each side. Above the natural waist and along the back closure, the skirt is lined with red-orange bias-cut shantung which covers the upper half of the darts. Bones encased in bias tape are sewn on top of the lining in line with the underlying darts. A waist stay is sewn into the center front of the skirt and tacked to each of the bones. The back ends of the waist stay are not sewn down and close with metal hooks and thread eyes. At right, the orange skirt is laid flat on a table with the bias-cut center front seam towards the left and the center back fold on the right. The hem is turned up to show a four-inch seam allowance with several darts along the curved edge.

Details of 2009.300.7236’s waist and hem finishing.

These subtle differences in finishing illustrate Cashin’s attention to quality of construction and materials. By using different techniques for each fabric type, she was able to create skirts that not only looked beautiful but also fit and functioned impeccably. These deceptively simple pieces are a testament to Cashin’s skillful design approach and her ability to create chic, yet comfortable attire for the modern woman.

From July 7, 2023 through February 4, 2024, the green evening skirt (2009.300.8024) will be on view at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, just up Fifth Avenue from The Met. This skirt will be displayed as part of the exhibition, A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes, which explores the career of Dorothy Liebes, the fabric’s designer.

Footnotes

[1] Paul Hanenberg and Etta Froio, “Cashin’ in on Cashin,” Women’s Wear Daily, May 15, 1962, 32.