Uniform
Vera Maxwell · 1942
Vera Maxwell
- Practical separates
- Workwear
Vera Maxwell developed clothing around comfort, useful construction and adaptable combinations. Her 1942 industrial uniform shows these priorities in wartime workwear.
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Uniform
1942
Sperry Gyroscope commissioned Maxwell's 1942 uniform for women working in heavy industry. The Met describes a practical jumpsuit intended to combine utility with an attractive silhouette. Its cotton fabric, front openings and integrated trousers place a work garment within the broader development of functional American sportswear.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Gift of Vera Maxwell, 1947
Collection selection
Evening ensemble
ca. 1957
Maxwell paired a floral dress with a red wool coat in this circa-1957 evening ensemble. The Met notes that she repeated the dress fabric inside the coat, a recurring feature of her work. Silk, wool, fur and leather give the coordinated outfit varied textures as well as strong color.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Vera Maxwell, 1967
Collection selection
Cape from an ensemble
1966 · The Met collection
Wool.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Dress
1975 · The Met collection
Nylon.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Dress
1940 · The Met collection
[no medium available].
The Metropolitan Museum of ArtArchive pieces, grouped by date
2 pieces1942
1 piece · Season not recorded
ca. 1957
1 piece · Season not recorded
Evening ensemble
Vera Maxwell · ca. 1957
About Vera Maxwell
A later evening ensemble pairs a floral dress with a red coat lined in the same patterned fabric. The Met traces her move from modeling to design and records the opening of Vera Maxwell Originals in 1947.