Ensemble consisting of a jacket and dress of wool and a leather belt, designed by Digby Morton, jacket tailored by Roger Brinès, London, England, 1947-1948

Ensemble consisting of a jacket and dress made from finely checked wool in green, beige and brown, and a leather belt.

The jacket is fitted to just below the waist with a single-breasted two-button fastening, revers, collar covered in dark green velvet, slanting welted hip pockets and narrow turn back cuffs trimmed with a button. The buttons are all flat, round and covered with dark green leather. The jacket is lined in dark green silk.

The dress has a high neck with a shaped band collar, and the bodice and rounded wrist-length sleeves are cut in one. There is a stitched tuck to mark the yoke from which spring the finely pleated material forming the tight bodice and full skirt. The bodice is lined with brown silk and fastens on the left side with a zip. There is a narrow grosgrain waist-band. The bodice also fastens at the centre back with four self-covered buttons. Two similar buttons trim the wrap over at the bottom of each sleeve.

Belt of green leather with point in front, trimmed with two self-covered buttons and a buckle at the back.

Given by Mrs Benita Armstrong

Registered Paper 1966/829.

Given and worn by Mrs Benita Armstrong.

The designer Digby Morton (1906-1983) was born in Dublin, in what is now the Republic of Ireland, and trained at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art and then at the Polytechnic Art School in London, England. He was a designer at Lachasse from its opening in 1928, and launched his own couture house in 1933. He introduced ready-to-wear in 1939.

After working in the United States between 1953 and 1957, in 1958 Morton became Design Director of the London firm Reldan-Digby Morton, which produced casual sportswear.

Morton specialised in fashionable tailoring and country clothes, like this outfit. Sometimes he teamed his tweeds with Aran knitwear.

This ensemble, consisting of a jacket and dress made of checked wool with a leather belt, speaks to the demand for smart and practical tailored womenswear in places including England and France around the Second World War period. The jacket was tailored by Roger Brinès and the outfit was worn and given to the V&A by Mrs Benita Armstrong.

T.37&A&B-1966