American Art Collaborative

A shirt jacket of plain weave cotton fabric; the fabric is printed with a background of red and orange rectangles, over which is a regularly repeating motif of three blue and white fish on a sheet of brown newspaper; ?Journal? is visible printed at the top of each newspaper sheet; the hip-length jacket is cut on the bias with full-length dolman sleeves (cut in one piece with the front and back body); shoulder seams extend the length of the arm down the tops of the sleeves; the sleeves are pleated into cuffs with tabs that extend at both sides of a short slit opening; two-hole black plastic buttons are stitched to the inside of each cuff so as to form double tab extensions when buttoned through the opposite extending tab; convertible collar; center front opening with five black plastic buttons that start close to the neck line and extend to slightly below the waist; machine worked black thread buttonholes are set on a diagonal down the front of the jacket, following the straight grai of the fabric; under sleeve seams curve at the under arm and continue on to form the side seams of the jacket; front bust dart fullness is gathered in just below the under arm curve and is caught in the side seam stitching; facings finish back neck area and both sides of the front opening; the front facings are interfaced; center back and side body seam allowances are finished by turning under and stitching; shoulder seams are finished likewise until where they reach into the tops of the sleeves; a narrow bottom hem is faced with white seam binding and top stitched with orange thread; (garment seams stabilized with the same white seam binding); collar, both sides of front opening and cuffs are topstitched with two rows of straight stitching in black sewing thread; a woven Claire McCardell label is hand stitched to the facing at the center back neck; this label reads ?claire mccardell clothes, by townley?, wrought in red an a white ground.