In this essay, I argue that clothing played an important role in the establishment and maintenance of the postwar American project of independence and “normalcy.” Using previously unpublished sources, I trace the history of Functional Fashions, a clothing line of accessible garments for disabled persons in the United States that existed from 1958 to 1976. Designer Helen Cookman created the line as well as the associated non-profit Clothing Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). This essay establishes a history of both the Functional Fashions line and the CRDF, including Cookman’s design methodology behind the garments, how CRDF partnered with other important sportswear designers, and how they created the ideal Functional Fashions user. I ultimately show that the goal of the line was for Functional Fashions users to participate in the postwar American culture of bodily autonomy and that CRDF leadership framed this participation as a form of psychological rehabilitation.

在这篇文章中，我认为服装在战后美国独立和“常态”项目的建立和维护中发挥了重要作用。使用以前未发表的资料，我追溯了 Functional Fashions 的历史，这是一个 1958 年至 1976 年间存在于美国的残疾人无障碍服装系列。设计师 Helen Cookman 创建了该系列以及相关的非营利性服装研究和发展基金会（CRDF）。本文建立了功能时装系列和 CRDF 的历史，包括 Cookman 在服装背后的设计方法、CRDF 如何与其他重要的运动服装设计师合作，以及他们如何创造理想的功能时装用户。