Art Institute of Pittsburgh: 1939-1940

In 1938, after Jeanne completed her one-year fashion design course at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, she received her first job offer. Her instructors, who were very pleased with her work, offered her a position at the Institute as a teacher. Jeanne accepted and taught both day and evening classes too. It was, as Jeanne put it, "rugged"! She was flattered to be invited to teach a second year, but declined. Jeanne had an ambitious goal and didn't want teaching to get in the way.

She was just 20 years old now, and she felt that she was ready to hit New York City and become a fashion designer.
" Of course," she says, "if I had known then what I know now, I'd have realized how incomplete my education was. One year of training just isn't enough. Oh, I could sketch all right. And it's true I was pretty good at cutting and making patterns. But so far as practical experience goes--well, that takes a long time."--Excerpt from Young Faces In Fashion by Beryl Williams.

Below is a small collection of fashion designs by Jeanne Sanford.