A Case Study on the American Designer Hannah Troy, who Translated Couture into American Ready-To-Wear in the Mid-20th Century

Researcher: Nancy V. Martin

Program: Apparel Design

How did the American apparel designer Hannah Troy translate looks promoted by Parisian couturiers for the American womenswear market between 1947 and 1955?

This study investigated how an American designer, Hannah Troy, adapted the aesthetic qualities of original couture creations to appeal to the American market. It used a historical-comparative and material culture methodology and compared apparel designs and garment artifacts presented by Hannah Troy between 1947 to 1955 to the work of contemporary American designers and Parisian couturiers. Two competitive but complementary clothing production systems, ready-to-wear and couture, were prevalent in the United States and Europe following World War II. The two methods of producing clothing differ.

In couture, design and fit are individually customized in the commission, in conjunction with exclusive and often hand-made textiles. The couture garment is a unique and singular product. Couturiers have long maintained style authority to set trends. Historically couture has been extolled as aesthetically and technically superior to ready-to-wear. The other method of production, ready-to-wear apparel, is mass-produced and depends on an agreed-upon sequence of construction supported by mechanization.

Ready-to-wear depends upon replication- exact copying- as a process developed to ensure product quality in quantity. This study used one mid-1950s American ready-to-wear designer Hannah Troy, as a case study into how American designers successfully translated the aesthetic dictated by top Parisian couturiers into a product that suited the expectations of American women.