Evening coat of ermine lined in silk satin, England, ca. 1930

Woman's evening coat made from white ermine worked vertically on the body and horizontally on the sleeves. Straight cut and mid-calf length. There is a fullness draping from the round neck at the front. The sleeves are deep at the shoulder but taper towards the cuff. Lined with white silk satin and there is a small pocket with a pleated heading stitched inside the right front.

This was worn by Miss Emilie Grigsby (1876-1964) who was a wealthy independent American who came to England from New York. She established a salon which was frequented by writers and the military. She was considered to be one of the great international beauties, with extremely pale, almost transparent skin and golden hair. She was frequently the subject of articles in the New York Times during the early 20th century. Her clothes were purchased from couturiers in London, Paris, and New York, and demonstrated an elegantly avant-garde approach to style.

T.234-1967