What Shall I Wear?

Claire McCardell (1905–1958) was an American fashion designer. In 1990, Life named her one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th century, and in 1955, she was on the cover of TIME. She attended Parsons School of Design in New York and studied in Paris. As head designer of Townley Frocks, she was one of the first American designers to have name recognition. She was the recipient of two Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards and won the first American Sportswear Designers Award from Sports Illustrated. Her work is in museums across the country and has been the subject of retrospectives at the Smithsonian and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Tory Burch is an American designer known for beautiful, timeless pieces. Founded in 2004, her collections include ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, accessories, jewelry, home, and beauty. Empowering women is Tory’s guiding principle, underpinning her design philosophy and the Tory Burch Foundation.
Allison Tolman is the vice president of Collections and Interpretation at the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) in Baltimore, Maryland. Formerly the associate curator of the Fashion Archives at MCHC, Tolman became fascinated with Claire McCardell as she delved into the deep collection of clothing and personal papers housed there.