This practical tailored walking costume is made of warm, hardwearing navy blue garbardine fabric. The decoration is provided by a soft beige woolen cloth striped in red, green and blue which trims the cuffs and skirt and forms a wide angular-lapelled collar which drops to a 'V' at the back. The buttons which are torpedo shaped and covered in a matching navy satin decorate the cuffs and descend in a diagonal line across the jacket and skirt. The rise of the woman's tailormade garment at the end of the 19th century went hand in hand with increased independence for women. Although harder wearing and more practical than the heavily decorated dresses of the early Edwardian period, the waist-band of the skirt contains stiff boning and a corset would have been worn underneath.

This ensemble is part of a collection of well over 100 pieces of clothing worn by Miss Heather Firbank and donated to the museum in 1960. Miss Firbank patronised many of the top London dress makers and tailors and the collection contains several pieces bought from Woolland Brothers including the majority of her hats. Woollands of Knightsbridge was established in the 1869 as a shop for servants to buy their own uniforms, however by the turn of the century, having expanded across several buildings on Lowndes terrace, it was one of the most elegant shops for ladies of fashion elaborately ornamented inside and selling everything from soft furnishings to fine evening wear.