Claire McCardell Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Claire McCardell (1905 to 1958) is credited with shaping American sportswear, and most of her work was made by Townley Frocks. Whether her name appears on the label is itself a date clue: it was only added when Townley reopened in 1941.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that McCardell joined Townley Frocks in 1931 as an assistant to Robert Turk and became head designer after finishing the fall 1932 line. Her 1938 Monastic dress, sold by Best & Co. as the Nada Frock, was a huge success, but Townley closed in 1938 after financial and legal problems linked partly to copying of that dress. She then designed a line called Workshop Originals at Hattie Carnegie, left in 1940, and worked briefly for the low-cost Win-Sum line.
Townley reopened in 1941 and made her head designer on condition that her name went on the label. She stayed until her death in 1958. Her signatures include bias cutting, metal hook fasteners and wrap ties.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| "Townley Frocks" with a woman golfer | 1930s | Her early Townley work, without her name |
| Nada Frock for Best & Co. | 1938 | The Monastic dress as first sold |
| Hattie Carnegie, Workshop Originals | 1938 to 1940 | Her short spell at Carnegie |
| Claire McCardell on the Townley label | 1941 to 1958 | Her best-known work |
| "Claire McCardell" on a 1990s garment | 1996 | A later line challenged by her family, not her work |
What it helps date
- Her 1940s jersey and cotton dresses, often with brass hooks and raglan sleeves, are described in our 1940s hub.
- The Museum at FIT holds her 1950 cotton shirtwaist with puffed sleeves, cited in the 1930s and 1950s hubs as a reminder that puffed sleeves recur after the 1930s.
- Metal hooks and side zippers help confirm the period: buttons and fasteners, date by zippers.
Values
The 1940s hub counts 11 McCardell dresses at Augusta Auctions from $180 to $2,062, median $450. Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for claire mccardell vintage dress on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Claire McCardell
- 1930s Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate 1930s clothing by bias cut, natural waist, shoulders, zippers and NRA labels, tell it from later copies, and see realistic 2026 auction values.
- 1940s Vintage Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate and value 1940s clothing: L-85 and CC41 wartime rules, rayon and early nylon, side metal zippers, key labels, and 2026 price ranges.
- 1950s Vintage Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate and value 1950s clothing: New Look to sack silhouettes, early synthetics, metal zippers, ILGWU and fibre labels, and 2026 price ranges.
- 1980s Vintage Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate and value 1980s clothing: power shoulders, aerobics, preppy and designer looks, labels and care tags, fakes and reissues, plus 2026 price ranges.
Related
- Dating Vintage Clothing by Buttons, Snaps and FastenersHow button materials (celluloid, casein, Bakelite, acrylic), snaps and Velcro help date vintage clothing, and why buttons are the least reliable clue.
- How to Date Vintage Clothing by the ZipperUse zipper type, placement, brand and material to date vintage clothing: metal Talon zippers, side-seam closures, the 1960 nylon coil, and concealed zips.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.
- Adrian Labels: History and How to Date ThemAdrian Original and Adrian Custom labels explained: Gilbert Adrian's move from MGM costume design to his own Beverly Hills house, and suit values.