Bonnie Cashin: Turn locks

Bonnie Cashin turn locks are enough to make you want fall weather year round. There's something in that nifty brass setting that really gives her luxurious jackets and coats a bit of down to earth practicality. I can't begin to imagine the "Eureka" moment when she realized she could apply them to her jackets, after seeing the twist locks in a more utilitarian application.

Soft pastel suede? Sounds nice, now pop in a twist lock. It's better than a button any day. Zipper? you ask. That's an abutted front seam, but our dear twist locks allow us our overlapped front closure. Casual and elegant at the same time.

Signature loopy wool with leather binding frames a brass twister at the neckline. It seems so logical, this industrial fastening. Without it, we would have gotten bored years ago.

Now you get the picture! Sporty and simple, with a twist of fun. How brilliant, how logical. A master invention for the 20th century.


All Bonnie Cashin jackets featured are part of a private collection and are not offered for sale.
This is the first part of a series on the 20th century American fashion designer, Bonnie Cashin.
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