Evening Dress

The lines of this sleeveless evening dress mimic the shape of a Doric chiton, pinned at the shoulders and bound at the waist with a zone or belt. A senior executive with Thalhimers Department Store, Elizabeth Bunnell Bauder (1929–2012) understood the power of fashion to make a statement. The plunging neckline and soft gathers provide a counterpoint to Bauder’s professional pantsuit on view upstairs in the exhibition, This Is Richmond, Virginia, and illustrate the complicated expectations of the 20th century professional woman.