Silk summer day dress, designed and made by Farquharson & Wheelock, New York, 1928

Heavy white silk summer day dress with a V-necked bodice, short sleeves, low waist and machine-pleated skirt. Rows of piping is arranged to form square panels on the bodice front, and similar bands of piping trim the sleeves and collar.

This dress 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.140-1967