The “shirtwaist” manufactured at the Triangle Waist Company, site of the tragic 1911 fire that killed 146 workers, was a woman’s blouse with puffed sleeves and a tapered waist. The ready-made garment was the first fashion to cross class lines because it was affordable for working women. Worn with an ankle-length skirt, the shirtwaist was appropriate for work and play, and soon replaced less comfortable and impractical corsets and hoops. Read about the seamstresses who sewed the original Triangle shirtwaists in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).
