--- title: Factory Fashionistas: Stylish Threads for Blue-Collar Women, 1953 description: As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in New York, LIFE celebrates a look that might have been championed by Rosie the Riveter. canonical: https://time.com/3877901/factory-fashionistas-stylish-threads-for-blue-collar-women-1953/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2013-09-03T17:56:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:50.851Z og:title: Factory Fashionistas: Stylish Threads for Blue-Collar Women, 1953 og:description: As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in New York, LIFE celebrates a look that might have been championed by Rosie the Riveter. og:url: https://time.com/3877901/factory-fashionistas-stylish-threads-for-blue-collar-women-1953/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9d1789f5355a5299/69884a99f887dc60a0e8fd65/05_112021771.jpg?branch=production&width=1000&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1000 og:image:height: 563 og:image:alt: Factory Fashion 1953 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Factory Fashionistas: Stylish Threads for Blue-Collar Women, 1953 twitter:description: As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in New York, LIFE celebrates a look that might have been championed by Rosie the Riveter. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9d1789f5355a5299/69884a99f887dc60a0e8fd65/05_112021771.jpg?branch=production&width=1000&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Factory Fashionistas: Stylish Threads for Blue-Collar Women, 1953 > Sponsored content. 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Worth Your Time is TIME's culture newsletter, published Tuesdays and Saturdays to 40,000 subscribers as of August 2026. #### Who writes TIME's culture recommendations? Culture editor Eliza Berman writes Worth Your Time, drawing on TIME's critics and culture desk. #### Is Worth Your Time free? Yes. It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters. by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Sep 3, 2013 5:56 PM UTC  Factory fashions by designer Tina Leser, 1953. Factory fashions by designer Tina Leser, 1953. Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Sep 3, 2013 5:56 PM UTC In April 1953, LIFE magazine showed its readers, and especially its female readers, that dressing for work — even if that work was on a factory floor — didn’t necessarily mean sacrificing a sense of style. Luckily for the 4.5 million women working in U.S. factories back then, designer Tina Leser was working hard, too. --- > “” --- Here, LIFE.com celebrates a look that might have been championed by the likes of Rosie the Riveter. LIFE also graciously included a disclaimer for readers who might balk at the clean and lean appearance of the “factory workers” in the photographs. --- > “” --- --- > “” --- The factory fashions — including the aforementioned “vanished pants” — and the “pushed-up pants” coveralls to be worn not only in the factory but also during leisure activities — gardening, sailing, perhaps grocery shopping — were at-once versatile and convenient. In short, Tina Leser provided women with some rather exciting choices for their workplace wardrobe beyond mannish (and, by implication, unflattering) coveralls. _Naomi Driessnack is pursuing a B.A. in Photojournalism at Western Kentucky University. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@naomidriessnack_](https://twitter.com/naomidriessnack)_._  Factory fashions by designer Tina Leser, 1953. Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "Vanished pants are hidden under skirt ($4.95) which reverses to match striped ticking jacket ($10.95, I. Spiewak). Basket is $3.95 (Lesco)." Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Factory fashions by designer Tina Leser, 1953. Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "Pushed-up pants of coverall shown at Fairchild Aircraft plant can also be worn for gardening, sailing. It has elastic belt, patch pocket for small tools." Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Factory fashions by designer Tina Leser, 1953. Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "Orlon coverall ($16.95 with turban) is acid-proof to protect chemical workers. It is also useful for cosmetic workers like girl at Helena Rubenstein's new Long Island factory since it keeps lint out of cold cream vats." Yale Joel—TIme & Life Pictures/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. "New coveralls, priced from $7 to $10 (Ramsey Sportswear) are (front) striped ticking and tan twill, (rear) plaid denim and blue denim." 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