Sweater

With a dream of being a dancer, Vera Maxwell arrived in the fashion world through the back door. Working first as a showroom model, she then became interested in the actual construction of the clothes. Not always agreeing with what was being offered, she began to make as well as mix and match her own clothes, which department store buyers from Lord & Taylor and Best Co. began to notice. Maxwell states that her first "real" design job was with Adler & Adler, where she worked from 1936-1937 and afterwards, found contract work to be very advantageous. Her classic, comfortable and timeless designs continued to garner praise and in 1947she opened a business under her own name, Vera Maxwell Originals. Her career outlasted that of her contemporaries, as she did not stop designing until 1985.

The wrap sweater is one of Maxwell's classic looks, which she used repeatedly in her collections from the late nineteen-forties, well into the nineteen-fifties. Maxwell has stated that the first sweater was designed in 1941 for a dinner. Uninspired by her own clothing selection, she took a cashmere pullover sweater from her closet, split it up the center, attached ribbons at either end and simply wrapped it around her waist, tying it at back. From this, the idea of the wrap sweater came to fruition.