If you’re of a certain age, or are a fashion historian, you’ll have heard of (or worn) one of the following: A jumpsuit, a plaid, fringed skirt, an oversized poncho, a kimono-type coat piped in leather, a canvas raincoat, soft knee-high boots, or a turtleneck that didn’t require a zipper to get over your head. Maybe you wore something that closed with metal toggles, but if not, we still bet that you probably “layer” your clothes to be prepared for changes in weather. These fashion concepts are all attributed to Bonnie Cashin, an American designer who championed practical and functional clothing that morphed into “ready to wear” clothing. “Fashion evolves from need,” she once said, something that may resonate with dog people who know about “form following function.

Brass turnlocks became a detail that sold a bazillion handbags for Coach, for whom Cashin was a head designer.  You can see the iconic clasp in the thumbnail image above (and also the link).  The clasp at the end of a dog leash also found its way to the waistband of a fuzzy ankle-grazing blanket skirt. Cashin was famous for her dog leash skirt, a long wool garment that could be instantly shortened by latching a small brass ring sewn at the bottom to a small brass clasp sewn into the waistline. In an interview with National Public Radio two years ago, Cashin explained the skirt’s origin. “My studio, out in the country, in Briarcliff, in the old carriage house, had steps that went up to a second floor. And I was constantly holding my skirts going up. I entertained a lot. And I’d be running up stairs with a martini in my hand. And so I thought I’d better hitch my skirt permanently.” What’s not to love about a woman who put her martini first? We’re not sure if “dog leash skirt” caught on, but we noticed that an original from the 1960s is currently selling for $1,800.

Bonnie Cashin, one of the most influential designers of American sportswear, died in 2000 after open-heart surgery in New York City at the age of  84.