The question was top of Claire McCardell’s mind as she packed for yet another journey to see the fashion premieres in Paris. In 1934 a woman traveling across the Atlantic had to use a steamer trunk to store the many components of her wardrobe. Empty, these trunks could weigh as much as 100 pounds. The fanciest of them hinged open to reveal a puzzle of intricate drawers and miniature closets capable of corralling every wardrobe item for the jarring steamship journey to Europe. Special compartments cradled hats; others held shoes. Gloves, scarves and jewelry went into silk pouches, and dresses had to be padded with tissue paper to prevent them from wrinkling. A panoply of straps and snaps kept everything secured inside.