Evening dress
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.
This evening dress is unusual because of the experimental cut. The puffed sleeves and the V-neck line are created by the abundance of fabric being gathered and the insertion of elastic bands along the neck line and sleeve ends. The silhouette of the dress combines historical references and romanticism, resulting in an elegant design for the period.
This evening dress is unusual because of the experimental cut. The puffed sleeves and the V-neck line are created by the abundance of fabric being gathered and the insertion of elastic bands along the neck line and sleeve ends. The silhouette of the dress combines historical references and romanticism, resulting in an elegant design for the period.
Artwork Details
- Title: Evening dress
- Designer: Claire McCardell (American, 1905–1958)
- Manufacturer: Townley Frocks (American, 1929–1938; 1940–ca. 1968)
- Date: ca. 1950
- Culture: American
- Medium: cotton, leather
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. Girard Spenser, 1972
- Object Number: 2009.300.503a, b
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Claire McCardell
1948
Claire McCardell
ca. 1955
Claire McCardell
ca. 1956
Claire McCardell
ca. 1953
Claire McCardell
ca. 1950
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.