threads of the sixties
Late 1960's & Early 1970's
1970's Pale green dress with vest
Material: Ultra Suede
Donor's story
Jean Lanihan (1923-2011)
Jean was born in Minnesota in 1923 to Christian and Jennie Christensen from Denmark. The family relocated to the Seattle area in 1928. Jean was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Seattle and attended the University of Washington for a year before becoming part of the banking world. She was the first woman teller west of the Mississippi while working for Wells Fargo in San Francisco. She continued her banking career in Seattle before moving to Bremerton in 1948. She finished her banking career in 1985 as Vice President at the SeaFirst Loan Center in Bremerton. Jean gave up a singing career in 1946 to marry and raise two sons with William (Bill) Lenihan. They were married 55 years before Bill passed in 2001. Jean was very active in the Bremerton community participating in the Kitsap County Historical Society, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), the Admiral Theater, and many others. She loved the music and meeting friends each week at Whiskey Creek.
Description
1970s pale green calf-length dress with rayon satin top bearing a raised round collar, long sleeves, and an attached skirt of matching washable ultra-suede polyester. Detached matching ultra-suede belt and detached matching rayon satin scarf are complementary accessories. Ultra-suede matching vest has six-button front closure, no waist, and two front pockets with decorative buttons. Purchased at The Francis Shop in downtown Bremerton during the 1960s. Label: “Custom tailored by Nardis of Dallas.”
Ultra Suede context
Ultra-suede was the brand name for a polyester ultra-microfiber cloth created in 1970 by Dr. Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist with Toray Industries. It was referred to as a synthetic version of suede leather. Unlike suede leather, ultra-suede was breathable, resilient, machine washable and could be tumble dried. In 1972 American fashion designer Halston premiered his ultra-suede shirtdress and started a craze for the synthetic fabric.
