​​Claire McCardell: The woman who gave us dresses with pockets (and made fashion actually comfy)

Time of India

27-06-2025

Representational image
Claire McCardell wasn't about stiff dresses, painful waistbands, or rules that made getting dressed a drag. While the fashion world in her time was busy obsessing over Parisian glamour, Claire kept things real.
She designed clothes for actual women—women who moved, worked, cooked, chased kids, and needed to breathe. She didn't try to dress women like Hollywood stars. She dressed them like themselves. And that's what made her iconic.
Comfort was her superpower
Born in Maryland in 1905, Claire studied fashion in New York and even had a stint in Paris. But instead of copying French trends, she asked the real question: What do women actually want to wear? Her answer? Clothes that feel good and let you live your life.
She used fabrics like cotton, jersey, and denim—stuff that felt nice on the skin and could be tossed in the wash. She ditched the fussy buttons for zippers, skipped the shoulder pads, and gave us deep, glorious pockets. For Claire, comfort didn't mean boring—it meant beautiful and real.
The dress that did it all
One of her most famous creations? The 'Popover' dress. It was a wrap dress that worked for everything—cooking, working, lounging, or heading out.
It even came with a matching potholder. Functional, affordable, and super cute. Women loved it because it made life easier—not harder.
And those comfy ballet flats everyone still wears? Yeah, Claire had a hand in that too. She thought high heels were overrated (same), so she designed shoes that looked stylish and let you catch a bus or walk around the city without crying in pain.
Clothes that got you
Claire wasn't in it for fame. She didn't care about being flashy.
What she cared about was making sure women felt good in what they wore. 'I've designed clothes that make people feel relaxed and comfortable,' she once said. And she meant it.
She created fashion that respected women's lives. Her designs were for the multitasking queens—working, cooking, parenting, commuting, and still showing up for dinner looking fab.
Her legacy lives on
Claire passed away in 1958, but her influence is everywhere.
Every time you reach for a wrap dress, slide on ballet flats, or get excited about a dress with actual pockets, that's Claire. She didn't need a spotlight—her designs spoke for themselves.
Her designs weren't just clothes—they were
tools
for everyday life. They helped women move freely, express themselves, and stay comfortable doing it all. That's why even her simple changes, like including pockets (which most modern designers still forget!), felt revolutionary.
It's like she understood how clothing could be empowering without needing to scream 'power suit.'
She proved that fashion doesn't have to be complicated to matter. Sometimes, the simplest outfits are the most powerful.
Today, Claire McCardell is finally getting her flowers again. Designers often cite her as a quiet genius who changed the way we think about fashion. Brands are still borrowing (okay, stealing) her wrap dresses, ballet flats, and sporty-meets-elegant silhouettes.
So the next time someone acts like comfort and fashion don't mix? Just remind them that Claire McCardell was doing "chic and comfy"
way
before it was cool. She didn't just design clothes—she designed freedom. And every woman who's ever breathed easier in a soft dress or strutted in flats without pain? Yeah, we owe her.