c. 1905

Woman's Dress: Skirt and Bodice

The house of Jeanne Hallée was famed for its lingerie-inspired tea gowns and use of lace. This reception dress, which looks to the fashions worn during the reign of Louis XVI (1774-92), would have been worn to receive guests at home in the afternoon. It belonged to Marie Josephine Rozet from Chicago. She and her sister, Rebecca Mandeville Rozet (Mrs. William Prescott Hunt, Jr.), purchased much of their wardrobe in Paris and carefully documented the date when each garment was worn and the name of the wearer.