Published in 2022 (first published 1956)
287 pages
Claire McCardell (1905-1958) pioneered a style of clothing both casual and chic. In 1990, Life magazine named her one of the 100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century. She attended Parsons, learning to construct clothing by taking apart Vionnet samples. As head designer of Townley Frocks, she was one of the first American designers to have name recognition, as the company began to sell its fashions branded as “Claire McCardell Clothes by Townley.” Her work is in museums across the country and has been the subject of retrospectives at the Smithsonian and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Allison Tolman is a museum professional and fashion historian who has dedicated her career to promoting the preservation and access to museum collections, unlocking the social history that objects, especially clothing, hold within. Tolman is the Assistant Director for Collections Management at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. She has a B.A. in Art Conservation and Art History from the University of Delaware and an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
What is this book about?
First published in 1956, What Shall I Wear? is revolutionary fashion designer Claire McCardell’s collection of fashion wisdom and philosophy, and a vivacious guide to looking effortlessly stylish. This new edition of the sought-after classic features a foreword by iconic designer Tory Burch and a color insert of photos from McCardell’s collections.
“The testament to great design, Claire McCardell’s dresses look fresh, contemporary, and desirable eight decades after they were made, as the Costume Institute’s 2022 exhibit In America: An Anthology of Fashion demonstrated.” —Nicole Phelps, global director, Vogue Runway and Vogue Business
“Among the many surprises and insights I discovered in McCardell’s valuable book is that she wanted to call it Fashion is Fun. That may also be the secret behind her genius and enduring influence—she refused to take fashion too seriously.” —Cathy Horyn, New York Magazine
“The first designer to create a cohesive vision rooted in the American lifestyle of ease, McCardell and her contributions as a designer and a woman in business are often overlooked. Tory Burch’s new foreword . . .puts this American treasure in her rightful place.” —Constance White, fashion editor and author of How to Slay: Inspiration from the Queens and Kings of Black Style
“Claire McCardell’s guiding philosophy of dressing with ease in afunctional, fashionable American look was groundbreaking—and feminist—for her times. And it continues to resonate globally on the runways and in closets today.” —Booth Moore, executive editor, Women’s Wear Daily
