Cardell's Impact On Fashion

World War II impacted many people and places around the world. What many people may not know is that World War II had a great impact on fashion as well. When the war began, the government created laws to ration clothing material that could be used during the war. These laws limited the types of fabrics that could be used to make for clothing. However, this allowed women to think outside of the box by making their own clothing in many different and affordable ways. By the time America entered World War II, Paris, the main fashion capital of the world, was already in the war. The press could no longer travel through Paris, meaning the city could no longer set the style trends for the rest of the world. Although Paris was unable to contribute

One reason why she impacted fashion was because she used a lot of different materials than the other designers used. She was the first designer to use everyday fabrics - ticking stripes from pajamas, calico, denim, and chambray - in her designs. Cardell used what were considered day fabrics, like men's shirtings and wool, in evening wear, and wool in bathing suits (White). She was a big fan of using wool in her designs, but wool was rationed to be used for soldiers in World War II. However, McCardell discovered wool jersey. She began to use wool jersey in many of her designs because it was a less expensive option. This meant that her clothing was more affordable to women during the war (Lee). For example, a few of her dresses were sold for six dollars and ninety-five cents at a time when other designer’s clothing was sold for hundreds of dollars (White). Another way in which McCardell used different materials in her clothing was by avoiding zippers. The sashes and wide, soft leather belts in her designs were made to avoid zippers and buttons. One reason why she tried to avoid zippers and buttons was to make it easier for her clothing to fit a women’s lifestyle and also to make the clothing more comfortable (White). A second reason why McCardell avoided zippers was because zippers were very strictly rationed during World War II