Photos By Gail

Bill Blass (1922 – 2001) began his career as a designer f in the 1960s before establishing his own label in 1970. His early preference for bold stripes, checks, and plaids in allover patterns carried through his career in the 1990s. The varied scale of soft Pink and White Gingham silk shantung in this ensemble from the latter period adds dimension to its asymmetrical shape. The color and pattern combined with the apron-like silhouette present an idyllic image of motherhood.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the Exhibit In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.