LINDA ALLARD/ELLEN TRACY LADIES VINTAGE 98% WOOL FULL ZIP LUX BLAZER-JACKET

LINDA ALLARD/ELLEN TRACY LADIES VINTAGE 98% WOOL FULL ZIP LUX BLAZER-JACKET Linda Allard and Ellen Tracy are synonymous with timeless elegance in women's fashion. Ellen Tracy, founded in 1949, initially focused on women's blouses. The brand expanded in the 1960s under Linda Allard, who became its principal designer and creative director. Allard transformed the label into a prominent name in American fashion. Tracy graduated from Kent State's School of Art and headed for New York with a bus ticket, $200, and a portfolio from her senior show -- the first fashion show held at Kent State. After pounding the pavement for two weeks looking for a job, she received a call from a manager at Ellen Tracy. On the rainy New York afternoon of September 27, 1962, she interviewed with the company's owner, Herbert Gallen, who hired her for "a new position giving me a chance to prove myself. My salary is not definite . . . probably $50 or $60 a week. It was her first and only job. The company, the job, and the designer grew in sophistication as the American sportswear industry grew to meet the needs of women entering the workforce. Allard's creative talent and sensitivity to the customer's needs, the firm made money every year and Linda Allard became one of the highest-paid designers in the industry. She was known for the quality of the fabrics, attention to detail, harmonious use of color and classic line.