1985
DONNA KARAN
Ensemble
Autumn/winter 1985
Donna Karan, American, born 1948
Left: bodysuit and skirt of black wool jersey;
Center: bodysuit and skirt of black cotton-synthetic jersey;
Right: bodysuit of black synthetic jersey;
trousers of black wool gabardine
Left: Gift of Amy Fine Collins, 1993 (1993.510.1a, b);
Center and right: Courtesy Donna Karan Archive
1934
CLAIRE MCCARDELL
Ensemble
1934
Claire McCardell, American, 1905–1958
Black wool ribbed warp knit
Gift of Claire McCardell, 1949 (C.I.49.37.49a–f)
As a fashion professional in the 1980s, Donna Karan was motivated by the wardrobe needs of working women. The comfort of wrap styling, the time-saving practicality of limited choices, the versatility of coordinated separates, and a desire to wear a feminine yet commanding alternative to menswear-inspired “power suits” shaped her first designs, dubbed “Seven Easy Pieces.” With different styles of bodysuits, trousers, skirts, and jackets, the modular ensembles were appropriate for casual evening, formal evening, and professional day wear.
The idea of coordinated separates that could be combined to suit a range of occasions was advanced by Claire McCardell in the 1930s, as seen in these examples from 1934, though the concept was not embraced by retailers until the 1940s. In 1944 Harper’s Bazaar endorsed similar ensembles by McCardell, posing them as an extension of what women were already doing—mixing and matching items from their wardrobes to make them go farther. Composed of wool knit and lacking any understructure or restrictive seaming, each component is both comfortable and functional. In varied combinations, they were adaptable to both professional and leisure activities.
The idea of coordinated separates that could be combined to suit a range of occasions was advanced by Claire McCardell in the 1930s, as seen in these examples from 1934, though the concept was not embraced by retailers until the 1940s. In 1944 Harper’s Bazaar endorsed similar ensembles by McCardell, posing them as an extension of what women were already doing—mixing and matching items from their wardrobes to make them go farther. Composed of wool knit and lacking any understructure or restrictive seaming, each component is both comfortable and functional. In varied combinations, they were adaptable to both professional and leisure activities.