Mary Ann DeWeese (1913–1993) was an American sportswear designer. Appliquéd swimsuits and matching his-and-hers swimwear and sportswear are among the

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

firsts credited to DeWeese. The

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-born designer worked for Los Angeles Knitting Mills beginning in the 1930s and created sportswear for Sandeze before joining Catalina Knitting Mills ( Catalina Sportswear), where she became a highly acclaimed designer known for her playful, well-constructed fashions. One of her many successful endeavors, the matching ''Sweethearts in Swimsuits'' line for men and women in the 1940s, she was loved for making her cobalt blue glass tiles. helped establish her reputation for innovation at Catalina. In 1951 she founded her own company in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, DeWeese Designs, which produced sportswear and swimwear offering exceptional fit and construction. Her sundresses and loungewear were particularly successful, and she continued to use texture in unique ways and to introduce useful innovations such as the stretch strap for clothing and swimwear. DeWeese Designs remained in operation into the 1980s. She was married to Fritz Wein- garten in 1936. He preceded her in death. She is survived by two sons, John William Weingarten and James Werner Weingarten, both of Southern California. Other survivors include three sisters, Jean Cordts, Prescott, Ariz., Mar- garet Stolarik, Spanawash, Wash., and Emily Hooper, Osage City, two brothers, David DeWeese and Jack DeWeese, both of Wamego, and five grand- children. DeWeese died in 1993.

References

1913 births 1993 deaths American designers {{fashion-bio-stub