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McCardell

women’s fashion from the 1930s on. A precocious talent, McCardell progressed from cutting up her own paper dolls and watching the family seamstress at work, to asking her parents to allow her to move to New York to study fashion. Her parents said no, she was too young. So, she spent two years at nearby Hood College before continuing on to New York to pursue design classes.

In a life that was tragically cut short by cancer, McCardell created an impact that reverberates today. Have you ever struggled trying to zip your own dress? So did she, as an independent 20th-century working woman in New York, and so she designed clothes with fastenings on the sides or front, or she cut them loosely to not require fastenings at all. A tomboy, nicknamed “Kick” as a child, McCardell wanted clothes that were comfortable and permitted freedom of movement. But she also loved color, fabric, and style—and out of her love of both freedom and fashion arose clothes that were fresh, modern, and, in many ways ahead of their time.

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At the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, we’re fortunate to have a number of McCardell’s that were donated to the museum in 2001 by a Hagerstown woman who worked in Washington, D.C., for 25 years. McCardell’s clothes were perfect for active, busy women and were intended to be stylish, comfortable, easy-to-wear, and long-lasting. We’ve brought most of the collection out of storage for a special installation this summer—installed in time to celebrate McCardell’s May 24 birthday, the fashions will remain on display until November.

Vintage McCardell’s aren’t easy to find—women loved them so much they wore them out. Our collection is in terrific condition, many retain their matching belts (unusual) and one has buttons imprinted with her name. (While working at Townley Frocks, savvy business woman McCardell successfully negotiated to have her name included on the label.) Our collection also features examples of a number of McCardell’s hallmark details—pockets, wide sashes, spaghetti string ties, hook and eye fasteners on the front of the bodice (making dressing easy, and adding a contemporary touch), double top stitching, and a playful touch with patterns and prints. McCardell created what we know as sportswear — not athletic wear (although she also designed that) — but clothes meant to be adaptable to a variety of situations and separates that could be mixed and matched. Some of her designs were called “play clothes”—short sets and jump suits intended for days of relaxation and fun.

In addition to the display of McCardell fashions at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, a larger exhibition Claire/McCardell is on view in Baltimore at the Maryland Center for History & Culture (MCHC). The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts team wishes to thank the team at MCHC for generously sharing scholarship and resources, and helping us to better understand our collection.

What Shall I Wear? McCardell’s fashion advice book, first published in 1956, has been reissued and still has nuggets of wisdom. For example, she uses the expression “capsule wardrobe” to refer to her love of mix and match separates. (I hadn’t heard that term until probably 50 years later!) I particularly enjoyed her commentary on handbags and purses, in which McCardell explains that shoulder straps on bags evoke a “country” feeling (designed for keeping your hands free), a look that, while appropriate during the war, was not sophisticated enough for the post-war urban environment.

Jacket with Sash Belt, c. late 1940s early 1950s, cotton. McCardell liked clothes that worked with real women’s bodies—many of her pieces wrap and belt to a woman’s natural waistline.

And the relatively tall (5 foot, 7 inches) McCardell liked flats—introducing ballet flats in WWII during supply shortages, and in What Shall I Wear, recommending that perhaps the best look to go with a ball gown is bare feet, and barring that, a sandal that is as close to bare feet as possible. What did I buy last week? A pair of flat sandals made up of little more than four gold cords. I thought of Claire McCardell as I slipped them on. And I’ll think of Claire McCardell all summer long, as I don my play clothes and enjoy the sun.

Sarah Hall is the executive director of Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays and most federal holidays. Visit wcmfa.org. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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