History & Notes: This dress was part of the collection amassed by costume collector Eileen Exleton Hollinger. Born in 1914 in Oklahoma, Eileen considered herself a "city girl" but quickly took to life in the wilderness of Idaho. Eileen attended college at the University of Idaho where she met her husband Harvey Hollinger. The pair traveled extensively throughout the state and retraced the steps of Idaho's early Euro-American pioneers. Some of Eileen's pieces featured in historic fashion shows in which she had contemporary women model historic costumes to highlight the lives of women from years past. In 1989, Eileen donated several pieces from her collection to the Idaho State Historical Society.
Description: Floor length gown of fuschia crepe features short, raglan sleeves, round plain neckline with a keyhole detail at back featuring a hook and eye closure. Front is embellished with a spray of flowers composed of sequins and beads that carries from the upper right bodice to the lower left hip. Sashes at either side of waist tie in the back. Wrap skirt drapes softly using radial darts in the fabric on either side of the stem of the sequin flower. Hem is rounded where the wrapped fabric overlaps creating a slight split in the skirt. Side metal zip closure.
Object Number: 1989.055.0030
Object: gown, evening
Category: Women's Garments
Circa: 1940
Materials: rayon, sequin