Medium: Red and yellow cotton with elastic

Date: Resort 1952-1953

Country: USA

Credit: Gift of Barbara Gould

McCardell's playful style is evident in every aspect of this design. It is chock full of her favorite design features, such the spaghetti string, used here for garment support at the shoulder and as a belt to casually accentuate the waist. Also recognizably McCardell is the bloomer styling characteristic of the bathing suits and playsuits she designed for both children and adults. With the high value placed on leisure time in 1950s suburbia, women needed clothing that was suitable for recreation. American designers, especially McCardell filled that niche. This suit, with a print based on the design aesthetic of the Panamanian Kuna tribe, brings a bit of the exotic to suburban America. It was, in fact, produced in promotional collaboration between McCardell, Everfast fabrics, and a Latin American tourism company.

Object Number: 98.103.3