Description: Cream silk jersey evening dress / ballgown with beaded decoration and matching belt. A) Full-length gown, bodice embellished with hand-embroidered stylized leaves/buds in cream on a ground of silver, green, and mauve beads. Shoulders and thin collar with solid fields of beading. Short, wide sleeves edged with silver and clear beads. Center back opening with hook-and-eyes at top and bottom, no closure along mid-back. Plain cream silk jersey skirt, gathered into waist. Closure at right hip, with band of hook-and-eyes along back waistline, and series of hidden snaps down from waistline. Bodice lined in silk gauze, skirt lined in heavier cream silk. Inner grosgrain ribbon waistband with hook-and-eye closure. Designer's label at inside waistband: "Givenchy"; under designer's label is hidden design/style # tag with handwritten notation: "54783" B) Belt of cream silk gauze-backed silk jersey, 2" wide x 30" long, completely covered in beading matching bodice. Hook-and-eye closure at ends. No marks/labels on belt.

Description: Dress of white raw silk and linen blend. The dress is mid-length, with rounded neck and short sleeves. Set in from neckline is a narrow band of red silk with white line print forming a collar with bow at front. The trim is repeated at sleeve hems, and at lower edge of 2 faux pocket flaps at front. The dress is seamed and with short bust darts. Center back zipper closure with hook and loop at neckline. Fully lined in cream fabric. Designer's label at inside left neckline: "Vera Maxwell / Original"

Description: Toque of black velvet. The circular, domed crown is of black velvet. The black velvet brim at sides and front folds up around crown, and is gathered ruched/shirred to form horizontal "tucks" around the crown. At front of hat the brim extends somewhat higher than back. At sides and front of hat are black netting veil. Hat is lined in black fabric. Hat has an inner black grosgrain ribbon hatband. There are no designer's, maker's, or retailer's labels in the hat.

Description: Large picture hat of navy blue straw. The high, domed crown is encircled at the base by a wide band of navy blue grosgrain ribbon, and has an oversized dark blue silk flower with artificial stems and leaves set at front. The wide brim is plain, turned back on itself at the edge to form a wide band of double-thickness. When worn, the brim hangs down forming conical shape, but when laid down, brim flattens. Hat is unlined, with an inner hatband of dark blue grosgrain ribbon around inside lower edge of crown. Designer's label sewn to inner band: "Adolfo / New York".

Description: Embroidered hatlet. Formed of two hollow teardrop shapes overlaid on each other and edged with tiny gold beads. The shapes are covered in light green satin with is heavily embroidered with flowers and leaves in red, blue, greens, yellow, brown, purple/lavender. At back of hat is a sculptural bow of the same materials, edged in gold beads and with a quadruple strand of the beads at the "knot". Overall is a brown net veil with attached embroidered pieces matching the embroidery on the hatlet. The hatlet is lined in brown knit, with a plastic comb attached at each side to secure hat to wearer's head. Sewn into lining is maker's label: "Bes-Ben / Made in Chicago". Gift of John C. Murphy, through the Chicago Historical Society.