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Romper

Designer Claire McCardell American
Manufacturer Townley Frocks American
1942
Not on view
In some ways, Amelia Bloomer, who invented bloomers in the nineteenth century, had to wait to be vindicated until McCardell's piquant playsuits and rompers of the 1940s and 1950s. McCardell's version of dress reform was not absolutist or strident; some of its best uses occurred in playsuits and sensuous dresses, but it was nonetheless an earnest reform, allowing women to move in new ways and to choose leisure as a lifestyle. Even in this romper, McCardell included side-access pockets, so that the woman need carry no burden. This is a carefree garment, because it so carefully and deliberately regards the need for freedom of activity and other needs as well.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Romper
  • Designer: Claire McCardell (American, 1905–1958)
  • Manufacturer: Townley Frocks (American, 1929–1938; 1940–ca. 1968)
  • Date: 1942
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: cotton
  • Credit Line: Gift of Claire McCardell, 1949
  • Object Number: C.I.49.37.46
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Playsuit, Claire McCardell American, Cotton, metal, American
Playsuit
Claire McCardell
1948
Sunglasses, Claire McCardell American, plastic, American
Sunglasses
Claire McCardell
ca. 1955
Raincoat, Claire McCardell American, cotton, plastic, American
Raincoat
Claire McCardell
ca. 1956
Beach cover-up, Claire McCardell American, silk, American
Beach cover-up
Claire McCardell
ca. 1953
Evening ensemble, Claire McCardell American, linen, cotton, American
Evening ensemble
Claire McCardell
ca. 1950

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