Beachwear

Designer Claire McCardell American
1944
Not on view
Claire McCardell is remembered as a pioneer of American fashion. After studying at Parsons and living in Paris, she returned to America to design functional, affordable clothes for the American woman. Her simple use of natural fabrics, such as cotton, denim and wool combined with flattering silhouettes filled a vacancy in women's fashion. Her first success was the tent-shaped Monastic dress, which had no form, but when belted became body-revealing and flattering. For the length of her career, McCardell designed inventive, sometimes daring looks that were mass-produced down to every last spaghetti tie and brass hook.

Like McCardell this playsuit is vibrant and full of youth. The print is not only playful, but it is visually stimulating. The trompe l'oeil pattern of white tabs with yellow buttons matches the buttons at the side of the wrap dress. Each piece of the ensemble is carefully cut to avoid wasting fabric, as well as, to flatter the body. This ensemble promotes comfortable casualness as it is designed without underwire, support fabric and other typical foundation enhancements.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Beachwear
  • Designer: Claire McCardell (American, 1905–1958)
  • Date: 1944
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: cotton
  • Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Claire McCardell, 1956
  • Object Number: 2009.300.1245a–c
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.