Object: Uniform
Designer:
Mainbocher
(1890 - 1976)
Date: 1942
Medium: Navy blue wool twill, off white rayon, and brass metal
Country: USA
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. C.W. Vernon Jr.
Object number: 84.203.1
DescriptionNavy blue wool suit, Uniform for W.A.V.E.S., Women's U.S. Navy, with jacket, skirt, blouse, tie, necktie and scarf
Label Text:In 1942, American-born couturier Mainbocher designed the uniform for the U.S. Navy’s W.A.V.E.S. (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). He made his uniform from the same navy blue wool used for male officers' uniforms, and it was widely lauded for its fashionable aesthetic. According to the W.A.V.E.S. commanding officer, Lieut. Comdr. Mildred H. McAfee, it was cut to be both “becoming and functional.”
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- Uniformity
- She's like a Rainbow: Colors in Fashion
- Fashion & Politics