This tailored woollen skirt and coat is part of a collection of well over 100 pieces of clothing worn by Miss Heather Firbank and donated to the museum in 1960. The collection dates from around 1905 to the mid 1920s and shows the transition from the curvaceous 'S.bend' of the Edwardian silhouette to the straighter less feminine lines of the 1920s. The long lapels, long jacket and lack of definition in the waist in this ensemble are typical of the early 1920s. Decoration is provided by lines of buttons trimming the sides of the skirt, the sleeves and the open sides of the jacket. The jacket and skirt are lined with a stylised purple, blue and beige printed floral silk. This type of understated smart costume was popular for town wear during the autumn and winter months.

Miss Firbank (1888-1954), daughter of the affluent Member of Parliament Sir Thomas Firbank and sister of the novelist Ronald Firbank, patronised many of the top London dress-makers and tailors of the time. This collection forms an invaluable record of a stylish and wealthy woman's taste between about 1905 and 1920. Many items were shown in an exhibition at the Museum in 1960: 'Lady of Fashion: Heather Firbank and what she wore between 1908 and 1921'.