"Women in Love"

Elizabeth Hawes created simple, witty, distinctive, elegant and practical garments for women of means. Her designs were so smart and timeless that they were as contemporary in the early 1930s as they were in the late 1940s due to her commitment to quality of materials and simplicity of line. She was committed to the notion that form follows function and paramount in her design sensibilities was the desire to make clothes that were stylish, easy to move in, and by incorporating breathable fabrics, easy to wear. Hawes focused on construction and comfort, rather than embellishment, and incorporated a variety of interesting fabric combinations and construction techniques, successfully using somewhat complex textural juxtapositions to create visual interest. Aspiring to follow in similar design techniques as Madeleine Vionnet, Hawes draped fabrics on the body and creatively pieced together wearable garments that were also beautiful works of art. Hawes’ philosophy toward fashion also shaped her aesthetic. She firmly believed there was a difference between fashion and style. Style, she declared, “is dressing to fit your own self – it lasts.” Hawes Inc. scrapbooks and designer sketchbooks, complete with style documentation and swatches, are part of the Brooklyn Museum Library’s collection. The latter are cross-referenced with many of Hawes’ garments. Taken as a whole, this material provides a remarkably comprehensive look at the work of an exceptional designer.

"Women in Love" is an ethereal design created by Elizabeth Hawes. The crepe back satin of the underdress hugs the body and provides the wearer with a soft and luxurious experience with the satin face of the fabric on the interior. This hidden luxury resides beneath a floating overdress of ivory organza that floats about the body when the wearer moves. The piecing of the bodice and skirt shows Hawes' skill at tailoring a garment and her quintessential stylistic elements of a fitted bodice and floor-length, circular skirt, the romantic silhouette that thrived in the later 1930s. This example, with the ombré ribbon cascading down the center front of the skirt, veiled by the organza overdress, creates a dreamy effect and makes the ribbon appear as if painted on the skirt creating trompe l'oeil effect.