Just a quick stop to share with you
this book about one of my favorite designers.
I admire Claire McCardell for her innovative approach to clothing. She elevated "common" fabrics like denim and canvas, which had previously been used only for work clothes, and constructed elegant, fashion-conscious clothing from them. She designed for the American woman, and her clothing was modern and flattering while still enabling the wearer to move freely at a time when most designers still relied on rigid structure to their clothing, which restricted movement. Claire McCardell's clothing was made for every-day wear, and she invented sportswear as we know it. As a result of her innovative work, I think she drew many people's attention away from the big-name European designers of her time and helped to establish the idea of American fashion.
Beautiful designs, yes? I found a Claire McCardell dress in a vintage clothing store a few years ago. It needs a little work, but one of these days I'm going to wear it proudly. It's a timeless and interesting design, which is something I think fashion is lacking today.
I admire Claire McCardell for her innovative approach to clothing. She elevated "common" fabrics like denim and canvas, which had previously been used only for work clothes, and constructed elegant, fashion-conscious clothing from them. She designed for the American woman, and her clothing was modern and flattering while still enabling the wearer to move freely at a time when most designers still relied on rigid structure to their clothing, which restricted movement. Claire McCardell's clothing was made for every-day wear, and she invented sportswear as we know it. As a result of her innovative work, I think she drew many people's attention away from the big-name European designers of her time and helped to establish the idea of American fashion.
Beautiful designs, yes? I found a Claire McCardell dress in a vintage clothing store a few years ago. It needs a little work, but one of these days I'm going to wear it proudly. It's a timeless and interesting design, which is something I think fashion is lacking today.
I just watched the movie 'Coco Before Chanel' with Audrey Tatou as Coco; it's a delightful movie that's also inspiring for seamstresses and spends a lot of time on the shift in the comfort and practicality of clothing. Also featuring the delightful snip snip of scissors through fabric.
ReplyDeleteI love McCardell too! This looks like a lovely book to go on my Christmas list!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your comment on how style and timelessness are lacking. Also lacking is consistent sizing and quality unless you have a huge clothing budget. I started sewing my daughter clothes, and because of my frustration with trying to buy clothes that I love (I do occasionally find something, like in the small designer shops, which I cannot afford ($400 for a cotton skirt is out of my league)). I find that sewing lets me have a good fit, timeless style, and beautiful fabrics. Sometimes the clothing doesn't always turn out as I hope, but usually it is wearable, and sometimes it turns out even better than I could hope and I have something beautiful, fitted for me, and out of lovely fabric.
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