Medium: Wool twill, off-white rayon

Date: 1942

Country: USA

Credit: Gift of Mrs. C.W. Vernon Jr.

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 officer’s 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.”

Object Number: 84.203.1