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US NNFIT SC.396.1.1 · item · 1939-1940
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 1 contains coverage of Mainbocher's back-to corsets movement and the new long torso silhouette he created in undergarments during his collaboration with Warner. It also contains extensive coverage of his famous "Rules for Chic" 12-point plan and his first trip back to his native Chicago. Included are Mainbocher-Warner PR materials, a New Yorker profile, and ads taken from the New Yorker, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Folders contain a periodicals list, a brief note from an unidentified woman to the designer and an issue of Look magazine with an article on Mainbocher's business from January 18, 1938.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.10 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 10 is indicative of the diversified range of Mainbocher's designs and clientele. He created suitable eveningwear for both the WAVES and society women. In October 1948, he debuted a full-dress evening uniform for the WAVES--the first ever designed officially for women members of our country's military service. It was a three-piece ensemble of navy blue sheer wool and white silk, consisting of a jacket, blouse and skirt. The uniform reflected the "New Look" proportions, and also included a hat and navy envelope-shape evening bag with a single gold button fastening designed by Koret. He also updated the WAVES' daytime look from 1942 by lowering skirt lengths from a war-time seventeen and a half inches to a modified "new look" clearance of 13-14 inches. It was covered in an array of magazines from Vogue to Time to Beta Theta Pi, the University of Chicago chapter's literary magazine. The same year, he also designed gowns for some of society's most prominent women for the Gibson Girl Ball, which took place on December 20, 1948 at the Hotel Plaza. He was inspired by his research on the Gibson Girl era, as evidenced by the huge, draped leg-of-mutton sleeves that appeared in his collection. Many of "the belles of the ball," including Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson, Mrs. Vincent Astor and Mrs. John C. Wilson were featured in editorial spreads wearing their Mainbocher gowns. Finally, the volume contains coverage of Mainbocher's cardigan. The old sweater was fashionable for spring, and the designer was credited for introducing the dressy evening cardigan several seasons prior.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.11 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 11 contains mostly coverage of Mainbocher's designs for the Girl Scouts and Red Cross volunteers in 1948. The new Girl Scout uniform was introduced in August. It was the first time in 20 years it had been changed. It was a green cotton covert dress with buttons down the front and a flaring skirt worn with a new cap. The new Red Cross uniform marked the first major changes made since before the war. It was a steel-blue gray whipcord suit with a topcoat, blouse and skirt that had the same slimness seen in women's fashions of the time. It was worn with a matching visored hat. This volume also contains miscellaneous coverage at the beginning and end. Included: Mainbocher's designs for Ruth Gordon in The Leading Lady and Tallulah Bankhead in Private Lives; his notable designs for summer, such as white suits for evening restaurant-wear and gilt-threaded cotton gingham dresses; and the pink chiffon dress he designed for Ruth Gordon in The Leading Lady was put on exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Folders include a typed contents page; four pages of correspondence about the uniforms from the American Red Cross National Headquarters; and several loose newspaper clippings of pictures of Mainbocher's uniforms with attached labels from various press clipping services.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.12 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 12 contains mostly coverage of Mainbocher's biannual collections, but also includes coverage of his designs for the Passavant Hospital nurses' uniforms; the wedding dress for Mrs. Romaine Simpson; some miscellaneous articles on his designs for Mary Martin; the opening of La Galerie, his new, less expensive shop below the salon; his designs for the wife and daughters of Connecticut governor-elect John Lodge; Wallis Simpson's donation of her wedding dress to the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and his designs for debutantes for the Benefit Opera for the Free Milk Fund. Folders include a typed contents page; two pamphlets from 1950 from the Passavant Memorial Hospital; The Pink Door Caterer's Menu; a document from the Institute for the Crippled and Disabled Theatre Benefit; a press release from October 3, 1950 for his fall collection; and a 1948 booklet put out by Warner Brothers entitled "Always Starting Things." Volume 12 includes an article from the Scandinavian press and some Spanish coverage.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.13 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 13 contains coverage of Mainbocher's theatrical designs, primarily for Mary Martin, but also for actresses Lynn Fontanne, Betty Field and Lauren Bacall from 1951 to 1959. In addition to her work on the Broadway stage, Martin starred in the television version of "Born Yesterday" and headlined her own six-month tour, "Music with Mary Martin." For the latter she wore twenty original dresses by the designer, seven of which she modeled in a preview fashion show. Folders include a typed contents page, two different Playbills for "The Sound of Music" and the cover from an original copy of Life magazine from November 23, 1959. Martin appears in a Mainbocher wedding gown from "The Sound of Music."

Marine Uniforms, 1952
US NNFIT SC.396.1.14 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 14 has articles all about Mainbocher's designs for the women marines. In August 1952 he debuted a wardrobe of six different ensembles. It was the first time in history women marines had their own dress blues (the counterpart of the blue uniform made famous by male marines). Included in this volume is an original invitation for the premiere presentation of the women's uniforms on August 28, 1952 and ten large original black-and-white photographs of marines modeling the uniforms. Folders contain a typed contents page and a five-page press release from the United States Marine Corps that provides detailed descriptions of the different looks in the wardrobe. The final page 43 has a typed original letter about the Passavant pinning ceremony. This leaf was probably intended to be in volume 12.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.15 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 15 includes coverage of Mainbocher's four biannual collections from Fall 1951 to Spring 1953. In the Fall 1951 collection he presented front-fullness in skirts and used both wool and lace for evening. For Spring 1952 he stressed beauty above trends and turned out gingham checked cotton in jewel-necked sleeveless sheaths. Fall 1952 was about classic simplicity, with his suits receiving much editorial coverage. In Spring 1953 the neckline was the point of interest of the collection that received the most press. This volume also includes coverage of society women such as Mrs. Winston Guest and Mrs. Edward F. Hutton wearing Mainbocher's latest fashions; coverage of his designs for school uniforms for Westover School in Middlebury, CT; miscellaneous articles on Mary Martin, some of which also appear in other scrapbooks; coverage of his designs for U.S. Lady Ambassador Mrs. Fleur Cowles's wardrobe for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth; and numerous articles with photographs of the wedding dress he designed for Sara Delano Roosevelt, FDR's grandaughter. Folders include a typed contents page; Two loose pages from December 1951 Vogue; and two loose magazine pages dated December 1951 from an article about Fifty-Seventh Street, in which Mainbocher is mentioned.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.16 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 16 includes coverage of Mainbocher's Fall/Winter 1953 and Spring/Summer 1954 collections. In the fall, newspaper headlines were dominated by his "shunning [of] extremes" in fashion, while for spring he was recognized for two big innovations in his pairings of fabrics: tweed with polka dots and gingham under lace. This volume also contains miscellaneous coverage of his designs for high society women such as Mary Frances Griffin and Mrs. William Paley; coverage of the top ten best dressed women, several of whom were Mainbocher clients; articles on his designs for theatre; and articles that quote the designer on his thoughts about Christian Dior's latest silhouette. Folders include a printout document dated September 17, 1953 with large photographs of the fashions from his fall collection, and a program from the Versailles Ball, which lists Mainbocher as serving on the men's committee.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.17 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 17 includes coverage of Mainbocher's costume designs for Rosalind Russell in "Wonderful Town;" the cast of "Point of No Return;" the cast of "Kind Sir" starring Mary Martin; the cast of "The Prescott Proposals" starring Katharine Cornell; Blues-singer Libby Holman in "Blues, Ballads and Sin-Songs;" and Mary Martin in her 1955 television appearance with Noel Coward in "Together with Music." The highlights of this scrapbook are the personal telegrams and handwritten notes to Mainbocher from prominent players from the Broadway stage. There is correspondence from Rosalind Russell, Cole Porter, Joshua Logan, Norman Krasna, Leland Hayward, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, Mary Martin and Hedda Hopper. Folders include a typed contents page; small miscellaneous photographs of different individuals, two of which can be positively identified as Mainbocher and Mary Martin; the program for "Kind Sir" from the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, 1953; a personal note from Norman Krasna, the writer of "Kind Sir;" the Eleanor Lambert press release on Mary Martin's costumes for "Kind Sir," dated November 1, 1953; the Playbill for "The Prescott Proposals" from the Broadhurst Theatre, December 16, 1953; and two personal notes to Main from Howard Lindsay (writer/director of "The Prescott Proposals") and Leland Hayward (producer). Last leaf includes clippings from 1971 -- could be misplaced; may need to duplicate for the 1971 material; Becky L. has named many of the unknown figures in the photos contained in the folder of this volume.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.18 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 18 includes coverage of three of Mainbocher's biannual collections. For Fall 1954 he emphasized a lower waistline and a longer/slimmer silhouette. The Spring 1955 collection was marked by jackets, the absence of black, navy blue suits and silhouettes that had the lowered waistline as well as the natural one. For Fall 1955 the collection was all about simplicity and the ensemble costructed from balanced proportions. Articles continuously reiterate that his clothes were never revolutionary. Throughout his career he made style changes but Main's deviations were never radical, which would often frustrate many fashion journalists who were looking for a "newsworthy" element to their stories. Folders include a typed contents page and a large color program from the Fete de Versailles, October 28, 1954. Also in this volume are articles from German newspapers; style tips from Mainbocher that reflect his "points on dressing beautifully;" a couple of color spreads in Woman's Home Companion in which Mainbocher's stage designs for Mary Martin are featured; and miscellaneous newspaper photographs of his designs for wealthy socialites like Mrs. Winston F.C. Guest. Becky L. noted that there's material on page 46 from the Dallas Times Herald noted as being from the New York Times Herald.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.19 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 19 includes coverage of Mainbocher's Spring 1956 and Fall 1956 collections, as well as miscellaneous coverage of his designs for socialites like Mrs. William S. Paley (Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley). For spring, the designer did not embrace one particular silhouette, but rather included several different ones, hoping one would make a woman look her best. The collection had lots of colors and printed fabrics, especially florals. Suits and dresses were paired with an elbow-length stole, often made of the same fabric as the suit blouse. For fall he featured a wide range of evening gowns, including some with trains and others with the Turkish or harem hem. This volume includes articles in German; coverage of Paley's tie for first place of the world's best-dressed women; and several articles in which the Duchess of Windsor calls Mainbocher "the most important fashion influence in her life." Folders include a typed contents page; Five large black and white photographs of women (perhaps models in the salon) wearing what are presumably Mainbocher dresses; and a two-page article entitled "Women of Two Wars" in which some of Mainbocher's designs for uniforms are depicted.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.2 · item · 1940-1941
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 2 contains extensive coverage of the opening of Mainbocher's establishment in New York City in October 1941, as well as his first and second New York collections in the fall of 1940 and the spring of 1941. His fall collection consisted of approximately 80-100 ensembles and featured dresses with the Swan silhouette and bold leaf patterns. His spring collection incorporated capes, peplums, long white gloves and small bouquets of artificial flowers as buttons down a dress or jacket. This scrapbook has a copy of the exclusive radio release put out by the Bureau of Fashion Trends in anticipation of Mainbocher's first collection, coverage of wedding gowns he designed in the summer of 1941 and articles about how his sketches for Paris couture were exhibited at the Museum of Costume Art in New York. It includes clippings from newspapers in Spanish, Hebrew and German. Folders contain a typed contents page that outlines what is in Volume 2, a periodicals list and an article entitled "The Flight of Fashion," from the July 1941 issue of Coronet magazine.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.20 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 20 includes coverage of four of Mainbocher's biannual collections, as well as his designs for prominent socialites like Mrs. William Paley and Mrs. Winston Guest (Babe Paley and C.Z. Guest, respectively). Both ladies were repeatedly on the annual list of the World's Best Dressed Women, put out by the Couture Group of the New York Dress Institute. His Spring 1957 collection was his seventieth to date and he showed long, sheer evening gowns with trains; morning cotton coats over formal clothes; and a variety of prints on cotton and chiffon. For fall 1957, there are photos of his showroom from the September 28 opening. For spring 1958 he showed colorful clothes with both fitted waistlines and fuller sihouettes with barely any waist at all. His suits jackets and skirts were a bit shorter but intrinsically the same. For his Fall 1958 collection he placed emphasis on the top of the silhouette, achieved by the slightly raised waistline and longer line skirt. Folders include a typed contents page and an article from the New Yorker from April 6, 1957.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.21 · item
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 21 begins with a continuation of coverage from his Fall 1958 collection and also includes coverage from his Spring 1959 collection. He said the latter grew out of his desire to express his conviction that "a good dress attracts and does not distract." He maintained his use of the higher waistline for some silhouettes, though most of the clothes had a normal waistline. In April, Ladies' Home Journal asked he and Lanvin's designer Castillo to create special wardrobes to be featured in the magazine. Mainbocher designed three ensembles, and the editorial spread is one of the highlights from this scrapbook. In May, there is a lot of newspaper and magazine coverage of the yellow sari gown he designed for Mrs. Henry Ford II for the Metropolitan Opera. This volume also includes articles and photographs of his designs for other prominent socialites such as Mrs. Winston Guest, Mrs. Alfred Corning Clark and Charlotte Ford. The final page is a large original photograph of five Mainbocher models wearing Fall 1958 daytime and evening looks. The single folder contains two small original photographs of Macalester cheerleaders wearing uniforms designed by Mainbocher.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.22 · item · 1959-1960
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 22 includes coverage of Mainbocher's biannual collections, as well as miscellaneous articles and photographs of his designs for socialites and coverage of him being the first person in the fashion field to receive an official Navy award. For fall 1959 he showed a slightly lowered waistline and a longer suit jacket. In the spring of 1960 his clothes looked both forward and back. He revived some of his own bias cuts from the 1930s, but introduced longer suit jackets with low cut, collarless necklines worn with high neck blouses. For fall 1960 the big news was the he endorsed the culotte, or divided skirt. This was surprising since nearly all Seventh Avenue designers were also making them. He also introduced his "rain suit," which consisted of a three-quarter length flared coat over an equally flared skirt in beige water-repellent canvas. In this and other volumes there are random newspaper photographs of brides (i.e. Kate Roosevelt, grandaughter of FDR) without a caption, but since they were clipped by Mainbocher's service we are to assume that Mainbocher designed the wedding gowns. In the timespan covered in this volume he designed gowns for several of his clients for high-profile events. They include Mrs. Winston Guest and Glora Vanderbilt Lumet for the Embassy Ball in November 1959; for Guest, Diana Vreeland, Mrs. Edsel Ford and Ms. Benson Ford to wear to Charlotte Ford's coming out party in December 1959; and for Mrs. Charles Engelhard and daughter Anne Engelhard for Anne's engagement party and wedding in March 1960. Folders include a typed contents page; a program from the Waves National Reunion in Dallas, Texas from July 1960; and two large photographs of two of Mainbocher's models wearing clothing from his Fall 1960 collection.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.3 · item · 1941-1942
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 3 contains mostly coverage from 1941 and 1942 but also includes miscellaneous articles from 1943, 1947 and 1955. In addition to clippings about his biannual collections and 1942 designs for the Waves, it includes articles on clothing he designed for Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor; his appointment as head designer for Twentieth-Century Fox Studios in September 1942; and Spanish coverage from publications out of Buenos Aires. Folders contain a contents list; press lists; an article from the Boston Post, September 8, 1947; an article from Harper's Bazaar, November 1941; an article from Collier's, November 22, 1941; original photographs released from the U.S. Navy that show the different styles of women's uniforms; 4 loose Parade magazine pages; a miscellaneous article about the Waves; an article from Woman's H ome Companion, January 1955; color pictures of Mainbocher gowns modeled by socialites.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.4 · item · 1942-1945
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 4 covers the designer's bi-annual collections from the fall of 1942 through the spring of 1945. During this time, he created his "changeabout basic dress," "glamour belts," and bejeweled cardigans. The press continuously reiterated Mainbocher's belief that a woman need only a simple black dress sans ornament and various accessories to make that one dress do the work of a dozen. The volume includes a Harper's Bazaar article from November 1941 about Mrs. John C. Wilson (Natalie Paley), "the 9-to-5 muse at Mainbocher," as well as a copy of the May 1944 cover that features a Mainbocher white straw hat with two white roses on the brim worn with his silk patterned dress and jacket. Folders include a typed list of the contents in the scrapbook, press lists, a loose page from Harper's Bazaar November 1943 and a card that credits Mainbocher for dressing singer Libby Holman in "Early American Blues."

US NNFIT SC.396.1.5 · item · 1941-1947
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 5 contains coverage of Mainbocher's designs for the stage from 1941-1947. The productions and actresses he designed for in this time were: "Blithe Spirit" starring Leonora Corbett and Peggy Wood; "The Smiling Visitor" (also known as "Rose Burke") starring Katharine Cornell; "A Lady Comes Home" starring Ruth Chatterton; "Over Twenty-One" starring Ruth Gordon; "One Touch of Venus" starring Mary Martin; "Foolish Notion" starring Tallulah Bankhead; "Dream Girl" starring Betty Field; "Dunnigan's Daughter" starring June Havoc; "Born Yesterday" starring Judy Holliday; and "Park Avenue" starring Leonora Corbett. He also dressed Libby Holman for her stint at La Vie Parisienne in April 1943 and contributed gowns for overseas productions of "Blithe Spirit" and "Over Twenty-One" to the National War Fund, which financed USO camp shows. Included in this volume are original photographs of Leonora Corbett and Peggy Wood from "Blithe Spirit," as well as various Playbills. Folders include a typed contents page; a "Blithe Spirit" Playbill (sans cover); an article entitled "For the Career Woman," featuring Katharine Cornell in "Rose Burke" from the New York Times Magazine, March 1, 1942; Six photographs of Katharine Cornell in "Rose Burke;" the Playbill for "Foolish Notion" sans cover; Eleanor Lambert's press release for "Foolish Notion;" Five Vandamn photographs of Tallulah Bankhead in "Foolish Notion" with descriptions of her costumes by Eleanor Lambert; and the Playbill for "Dunnigan's Daughter."

US NNFIT SC.396.1.6 · item · 1945-1946
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 6 contains coverage of Mainbocher's Fall/Winter 1945 and Spring/Summer 1946 collections. His fall collection was the first since the Americans won the war. It featured embroidery placed on bodices, draperies, peplums and belts. Black was the basic color. Short, double-breasted flannel jackets looked deceptively simple on the outside but were lined in ermine or seal skin. His jeweled necklines that he had introduced three years earlier prevailed. The spring collection had a "young and contemporary" look with emphasis on the slim line. He used less black. Yellow was the dominant color. The volume includes an article from LIFE entitled "Mainbocher is 'Cheapest' Dressmaker," published May 20, 1946. Folders contain a contents page; an original copy of Magazine Madeleine from November 1946; and an International News photograph of Mainbocher and Mrs. John C. Wilson, in which she wears the same dress she models in the May 1946 edition of Vogue.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.7 · item · 1946-1947
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 7 contains coverage of Mainbocher's Fall/Winter 1946 and Spring/Summer 1947 collections. For fall, he showed several trend-making innovations, including the fur evening dress--a simple black dress trimmed in mink and chinchilla. His spring collection was hailed a "new fashion era" by New York Times fashion critic Virginia Pope. Mainbocher designed clothes with an absence of material and pattern restrictions. The final third of Volume 7 is miscellaneous coverage of the designer's public appearances and articles he wrote that were published in various newspapers. The final leaf has an original copy of a press release from The Fashion League, for release on or after October 20, 1947. Mainbocher is mentioned twice: First, he is credited with his masterful use of fabric as a trimming; and second, for turning out his most beautiful collection in recent years.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.8 · item · 19471948
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 8 contains coverage of Mainbocher's Fall/Winter 1947 and Spring/Summer 1948 collections; his designs for elite weddings; and his role in dressing Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, named one of the "Best Dressed Women of 1947." For fall, corsets were back. Mainbocher's collection was esentially a total recall of the past seven years executed in more opulent materials of post-war opportunity. He said the two key "battle-points" of fashion change were skirts and shoulders. For spring, the main idea of his collection was to merge "prettiness and chic." Included in this volume are several press releases from Eleanor Lambert's agency, as well as excerpts from radio programs that either Mainbocher himself appeared on, or his fashions were discussed by the host. The highlight of Volume 8 is a six-page color spread from the March 1948 issue of House and Garden magazine entitled "Self-Portrait in Two Rooms." It is a rare glimpse of the designer's New York City apartment with numerous Kertesz photographs. The single folder has a typed contents page. There are a handful of articles written in French.

US NNFIT SC.396.1.9 · item · 1947-1951
Part of Mainbocher collection

Volume 9 includes coverage of Mainbocher's designs for the theatre from 1947 to 1951. He dressed Tallulah Bankhead in Private Lives; Ruth Gordon for her roles in The Leading Lady, The Smile of the World and A Month in the Country; Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam; Elliott Nugent and Betty Field in Not for Children; and ?? in Point of No Return. Folders include a typed contents page, many of the original programs for these shows and articles from Flair and Newsweek magazines. This scrapbook also contains articles from The New York Times Magazine, Collier's, Life, New York Post Week-End Magazine and Vogue; handwritten notes to Mainbocher from actor Henry Fonda and playwright Russel Crouse; and telegrams from actress Mary Martin and producer Leland Hayward.