Mccardell's Fashion During The 1940s-50s

McCardell was an American designer that was considered to be one of the top American designer during the 1940s-50s and her name is well-established. She specialized in everyday clothing for average working women. Also, recognized for originating the "American Look", which is just a more casual and relaxed take on fashion rather than inspiring from the formality of French fashion. This new perception of fashion was stirred by travel needs so McCardell began using fabrics such as cotton denims, ticking, wool jersey, and gingham. She gathered these new takes on fashion from the simple working clothes of farmers, railroad workers, sportsmen, etc. Hook-and-eye fasteners was taken from the working clothes of a sportsman. Some of the “firsts”

McCardell received numerous honors in the 1950s such as the Women’s National Press Club Award which was presented to her by President Harry S. Truman. With this award, she became the very first fashion designer to be chosen to be one of America’s Women of achievement which was very remarkable. In 1953, Frank Perls Gallery, exhibited McCardell’s fashion which contained garments throughout 20 years of her career as a designer. On May 2, 1955, McCardell earned an appearance on the cover of Times. A year later, she published her book What Shall I Wear? The What, Where, When, and How Much of Fashion. In 1990, Life magazine named her as one of the 100 most important Americans of the twentieth century, but this was 37 years after her passing. Isaac Mizrahi, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Elizabeth McKay, Norma Kamali, and Cynthia Rowley are all fashion designers who have been influenced by McCardell and show her inspiration through their own work. Anna Sui's 1999 spring/summer line was directly inspired by McCardell. Contemporary designers regularly combine her unconventional use of everyday textiles and relaxed silhouettes into their own work and