| Tom Brigance | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Birth Name: | Thomas Franklin Brigance |
| Birth Date: | 1913 2, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Waco, Texas |
| Death Place: | New York City |
| Known For: | American sportswear |
| Awards: | Coty Award, 1953 |
Thomas Franklin Brigance (February 4, 1913 – October 14, 1990) was a Texan-born New York–based fashion designer noted for his work in sportswear in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.[1] [2] As a house designer for Lord & Taylor, Brigance was best known for bathing costumes and play clothes, and for his clever use of flattering details such as pleats and darts.[1] [3] During the 1930s Brigance was a rare example of a male working in the female-dominated world of American sportswear design.[2] In the late 1930s, he was regularly mentioned alongside Clare Potter as a leading name in mid-range priced sportswear.[2] Like Potter, Brigance was skilled at designing smart, fashionable clothing which could easily be mass-produced, making his work attractive to manufacturers as well as to customers.[2]
After serving in the Army during the Second World War, Brigance resumed designing for Lord & Taylor and for Charles W. Nudelman; branching out into a wider range of garments, including suits, coats, and formal wear.[1] [3] [4] He was known for his clever use of unusually textured and/or unexpected fabrics, such as a flannel swimsuit, and in 1953, reportedly designed over half of the textiles in his collections himself.[3] In 1953 Brigance was awarded the Coty Award for his designs.[3]
Brigance continued designing during the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on swimwear for various companies.[1] One of his swimsuit designs for Gabar, produced before his retirement in the late 1970s, was still a best-selling design for the company in 1990.[1] He died in New York in 1990.[1]