Maker: Garment made or significantly altered by Josephine Hopper
Date/Period: c. 1935–1945
Materials: Silk or Rayon, Brass Buttons
Techniques: Hand-stitched and machine-sewn.
Style/Era: 1930s–1940s American Casualwear; Middy/Sailor Style
Condition: Fair to Good; requires deep cleaning
Description:
This columnar, sailor-style dress was owned and worn by artist Josephine (Jo) Hopper in Truro. While the garment displays the popular middy style of the late 1930s,
An examination of the garment reveals a unique detail: the interior label reading ‘Fillene’s Boston’ is hand-stitched into the collar, despite the rest of the dress being constructed by machine. At the time, commercially made clothing would have labels machine stitched into the garments. This detail suggests the dress was either entirely home-sewn by Jo, who added a found commercial label, which was a customary practice at the time. Also note the hand-stitched yoke tht surrounds the label.
