Ethel Mae Colby, ca. 1895
Item 48373 info
Maine Historical Society
Yet one's "best" outfit did not have to include expensive materials.
Something not worn every day or not for ordinary activity – or something with special meaning might suffice.
Stressing the importance of fitting in, Persis Sibley Andrews, newly married and living in Dixfield in 1844, wrote in her diary, "My dress was far behind the other ladies in fashion … & this I am not used to."
Item 4 of 19