A fantastic bio of a post-WWII designer I'd not heard of before, but one who changed fashion by making women's clothing with pockets, reachable zippers, and easy to wear silhouettes created for freedom of movement. Many of the items women wear today -- ballet slippers, leggings, denim, and mix-and-match pieces -- can be credited to her influence. Highly recommended!

Fascinating! I loved reading this - it is compelling, well-paced, and informative. I was somewhat familiar with McCardell’s designs before reading this and it was delightful to read about all of her ideas and perseverance in a male-dominated industry (and disheartening to realize how little may have changed in a century - though at least women in the U.S. are no longer arrested for daring to wear pants!).

I hope this brings much more attention to her work and contributions to the fashion industry.

Highly recommended, especially to readers interested in fashion, history, women’s rights, and innovation.

Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.