Ensemble

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 wool ensemble is an example of McCardell's well thought designs. Both pieces are extremely flattering and cut to fit the wearer. The waist is slightly nipped and fullness is added at the hips by the addition of the flapped pockets. The lining of the jacket matches that of the dress, unifying the ensemble. Showing the remarkable execution of the creation of these two pieces, the placement of the buttons are exact on both dress and coat, a feat for mass-production to achieve. While the fabric choice is more typical of menswear, a feminine touch is added by the use of delicate mother-of-pearl buttons.