047. Claire McCardell: Inventor of Casual Fashion (w/ Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson)

Discover the untold story of Claire McCardell, the woman who invented casual wear, defied Dior, and changed the way American women dress (with insight from author Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, who finally put her name back on the label).

Buy the Book: Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free

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About Claire:

Claire McCardell put zippers on the side so women could dress themselves. She gave us pockets when men said we didn’t need them. She invented the wrap dress before Diane von Furstenberg and made ballet flats a thing—during wartime, using Capezio dance shoes. At a time when women were being arrested for wearing pants, Claire McCardell was designing clothing that made women feel powerful, stylish, and free.

While Dior was cinching waists and romanticizing restriction, Claire was pioneering what became known as the “American Look”—comfortable, functional, and modern. Her name was once as big as Chanel’s, and she was the first designer to have her name on a ready-to-wear label. So why don’t we remember her?

Find out on this week’s episode.

About Elizabeth:

Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson is an award-winning journalist and author based in Baltimore. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, The Washington Post, and more. Her debut book, Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free, was published in June 2025 to wide acclaim, including praise from The New York Times Book Review, which called it “the linchpin I didn’t know I needed.”

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