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Please note that the following is a digitized version of a selected article from White House History Quarterly, Issue 52, originally released in print form in 2019. Single print copies of the full issue can be purchased online at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All photographs contained in this journal unless otherwise noted are copyrighted by the White House Historical Association and may not be reproduced without permission. Requests for reprint permissions should be directed to rights@whha.org. Contact books@whha.org for more information. ÂŠ 2019 White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions.

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First Lady Betty Ford’s Casual ELEGANCE The Style of an Ordinary Woman in Extraordinary Times KRISTIN SKINNER

I am an ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time. I was no different once I became First Lady than I had been before. But, through an accident of history, I had become interesting to people. —Betty Ford, 1978

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EARLY LIFE Elizabeth (“Betty”) Ann Bloomer was born in Chicago, on April 8, 1918, to

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Hortense Neahr Bloomer and William Stephenson Bloomer. After a move to Denver, Betty’s family settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she took and taught dance lessons. As a teenager during the Great Depression, she taught dance to local children to help support her family. She also modeled at Herpolsheimer’s, a department store in the city. Her love of dance and fashion went hand-in-hand. She soon moved to New York City to study with Martha Graham in her prestigious studio and achieved a place in Graham’s auxiliary dance group between 1940 and 1941.2 At age 18, Betty Bloomer began modeling in New York to help supplement her dancing income. She later recalled walking into the office of actor and model agent John Robert Powers, “wearing a tailored brown Chesterfield coat with a brown velvet collar and a large-brimmed brown felt hat pulled down over one eye and flipped up on the other side,” and receiving a “few photograph assignments.” She also did millinery modeling on Seventh Avenue, modeled in fur salons, and held a steady

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Betty Ford holds the Bible as her husband Gerald Ford takes the Oath of Office as thirtyeighth president of the United States at the White House, August 9, 1974. Administering the oath is Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. above

While working as a dance instructor, future First Lady Betty Bloomer performs in“Fantasy” wearing a costume of her own design. opposite clockwise from top left:

Betty Bloomer strikes a pose during her modeling career in New York City. Wearing a satin sapphire blue dress with matching shoes and hat, bride Betty Bloomer Ford emerges from the Grace Episcopal Church with Gerald Ford on their wedding day, October 15, 1948. By 1958, Gerald Ford was a congressman and the family had grown to include four children, seen here in the dining room of their home at 514 Crown View Drive, Alexandria, Virginia.

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an unexpected second and first lady, Betty Ford inherited the national spotlight when her husband Gerald R. Ford became the thirty-eighth president of the United States on August 9, 1974. As first lady she exemplified a modern woman who advocated for women’s rights. Her colorful wardrobe reflected her personality, and her garment choices echoed her demanding schedule. Many pieces were multifunctional and comfortable as well as stylish, fitting a modern lifestyle. She patronized both well-established and up-and-coming American designers while taking cost into consideration. First lady during years of dramatic inflation, she vowed to purchase affordable clothing, often offthe-rack, which she could wear multiple times.1 Together three designers most notably met her standards and shaped a distinctive style as a modern first lady: Frankie Welch, Albert Capraro, and Luis Estévez.

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job at the Sacony dress house, where she worked in the showroom and modeled for fashion shows.3 At the urging of her mother, Betty returned to Grand Rapids in 1941. During this time she married childhood acquaintance Bill Warren. Betty and Bill, who worked in the insurance business, moved to New York and then to Ohio in the Toledo area, where Betty worked in a department store. They ultimately moved back to Grand Rapids, and she again worked at Herpolsheimer’s, soon promoted to fashion coordinator. The job allowed her to travel to New York to meet with designers and to see the current styles. Bill and Betty divorced when she was 29, and Betty decided to focus on a career in the fashion field.4 Around this time Betty became acquainted with Gerald (“Jerry”) R. Ford, a local football hero she had heard of in school. They married about a year later, on Friday, October 15, 1948, with Betty wearing a satin sapphire blue dress with matching shoes and hat. Soon after the wedding Gerald Ford was elected to Congress, representing the Fifth

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Congressional District of Michigan, and the couple moved to Washington, D.C., where their first two children, Michael Gerald Ford and John Gardner Ford, were born. In 1955 the family moved into their new home in Alexandria, Virginia, where the Ford family would grow in the next two years with the births of Steven Meigs Ford and Susan Elizabeth Ford. During this time Mrs. Ford, in the interest of her husband’s new political role,

became involved in political functions. While Gerald Ford was the minority leader of the House of Representatives, she encouraged other Republican wives be more politically active. She reflected that she managed to get women who had never modeled before to chase “up and down runways for charity, and they got so they liked it.”5 She would later bring this enthusiasm for public service as well as her personal style to the White House.

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A FASHIONABLE SECOND AND FIRST LADY

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and daughter Susan, to meet with designers and keep current with popular trends. Her fashion selections reflected distinctive 1970s styles—colorful and flowing. Tailored suits, A-line skirts of varying lengths, and evening gowns that draped gracefully were also prevalent, as well as belts worn with dresses to define the waistline. Also popular were garments with a casual fit for comfort and soft lines that contoured the body. Mrs. Ford’s fashion combined such styles with sophistication, and leading fashion experts took notice: she made the International Best-Dressed List in 1975, the first time in three years that a woman married to a high-level government official had been thus honored.9 Betty Ford’s choice of the principal designers for her wardrobe—Frankie Welch, Albert Capraro, and Luis Estévez—further cemented her place as a stylish first lady.10

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With the assistance of her daughter Susan, Betty Ford carefully selected a green dress to wear to the White House following the announcement that President Nixon had nominated her husband to be his vice president. Seen here in the Blue Room are Richard Nixon, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, and Gerald Ford, October 13, 1973. opposite

Following the announcement that upon Richard Nixon’s resignation, her husband would become the thirty-eighth president of the United States, Betty Ford greeted the press in front of her Alexandria home wearing a brightly colored shirt waist dress printed with state flowers, August 8, 1974. NATIONAL AR CHIV ES

In 1973, following the resignation of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, President Richard M. Nixon nominated Gerald Ford as vice president, and Mrs. Ford found she was going to be the “second lady.” She had little time to pick a dress before heading to the White House for the swearing-in ceremony, recalling that “it can’t be a print, and it can’t be black, and it should be a pretty color.” Her teenage daughter Susan decided on a green dress for her mother to wear. In 1974, President Nixon resigned, and when she learned that she was going to be the first lady, Betty Ford greeted the press wearing a “sprightly, multicolored shirtwaist” created by the local designer Frankie Welch.6 The dress was made of SuPima cotton, a fine pima cotton of the American-Egyptian variety, with flowers of the fifty states printed on the fabric. Mrs. Ford was fashion-conscious and knew that it was important to look presentable even when she was rushed.7 As first lady, Mrs. Ford utilized her style to convey elegance while also stressing the importance of an affordable wardrobe. At the time the first family moved into the White House in 1974, inflation was increasing rapidly and the unemployment rate was higher than it had been at the end of the Great Depression. To combat the ailing economy, President Ford enacted his “Whip Inflation Now” program, focusing on reducing federal spending and calling on Americans to be more careful with their purchases.8 First Lady Betty Ford echoed her husband’s stance on spending by pledging to purchase clothing from American designers at affordable prices, often off-the-rack. Mrs. Ford’s focus on affordability did not hinder her wardrobe choices. She traveled to New York many times with her social secretary, Nancy Howe,

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One designer Mrs. Ford knew well before becoming first lady was Frankie Welch. Born in Rome, Georgia, Welch studied clothing and design at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She moved with her family to Wisconsin and then Alexandria, Virginia, where she taught home economics in local schools. She also conducted courses in fashion selection, which wives of politicians attended, and provided private services such as wardrobe consultation and personal shopping for clients. In 1963 she opened her shop, Frankie Welch of Virginia, in Old Town Alexandria.11 In the 1960s Welch gained national recognition for her versatile dress design called “The Frankie” as well as for her scarf designs. “The Frankie” came in a variety of fabrics, tied at the waist, and, because it could be worn multiple ways, became popular wear for multiple occasions. Welch’s scarf designs were also admired, and in 1966 Virginia Rusk, wife of Secretary of State Dean Rusk, asked Welch for an American design suitable for presidential gifts to foreign dignitaries. Inspired by her heritage— her maternal great-great-grandmother belonged to the Cherokee Native American nation—Welch designed a “Cherokee Alphabet” scarf for Rusk. Her design was very popular, and in 1968 First Lady Lady Bird Johnson asked her to design a “Discover America” scarf to help promote her beautification program. The “Discover America” theme would be used for the first fashion show in the White House. Other designs included an official scarf for members of Congress, a “Moving Forward” design for Richard Nixon, and a colorful polka dot and floral design made for Betty Ford.12 Welch was a well-known designer when Mrs. Ford became taken with her

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shop on Cameron Street in Alexandria in the 1960s. Welch offered a variety of fabrics—chiffons, linens, synthetics, cottons, satins—to her clients. The prices of many of her dresses were also in an affordable range of $40 to $150. While this price range was above the cost of the average wardrobe, Mrs. Ford’s fashion choices were still price-conscious compared with high-end styles, especially considering her role in the national spotlight.13 The variety and prices were ideal for Mrs. Ford, and she continued to purchase both formal and everyday pieces

Betty Ford and Frankie Welch unveil a scarf designed by Welch for the first lady (below) and pose with S. Dillon Ripley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, (opposite right) as Mrs. Ford donates a gown to the Smithsonian Institution, June 24, 1976. Mrs. Ford chose an orange two-piece sweater and skirt by Frankie Welch for her official photograph taken on the Truman Balcony (opposite left).

NATIONAL AR CHIV ES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

FRANKIE WELCH

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from Welch after she became first lady. Welch described the first lady’s style as tailored, a “casual elegance,” and observed that she held onto her clothes regardless of whether they were out of season.14 Budget-conscious, she often wore garments, including Welch designs, to multiple events. Mrs. Ford’s tastes encompassed colorful fabrics, including materials brought back from a trip to Asia. A gown she especially favored was designed by Welch and made by the Japanese-born seamstress Mariko Marshall. The palegreen full-length gown of Chinese silk features floral embroidery, long sleeves, a collar with a V-shaped open neckline, Empire waist, and back zipper closure. Mrs. Ford was photographed in the Treaty Room wearing the gown on October 6, 1975, was painted wearing it in a family portrait by John Ulbricht, and wore it to the State Dinner for President Giovanni Leone of Italy on September 25, 1974.15 A similar gown was donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History on June 16, 1976. This satin chiffon fulllength gown features chrysanthemum embroidery and sequin embellishment, an Empire waist, and a front zipper closure. An identical gown was made for a donation to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Mrs. Ford also wore this gown to multiple events including the State Dinner for the shah of Iran on May 15, 1975, and the State Dinner for King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain on June 2, 1976.16 Another iconic Welch ensemble is a bright orange knit jersey two-piece sweater and skirt. The sweater features a turtleneck, four decorative buttons along both bottom sides, and back zipper closure. The ensemble reflected Mrs. Ford’s love of color and her vibrant personality. She wore this ensemble for Gerald Ford’s swearing-in ceremony as vice president as well as for her first

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official photograph as first lady.17 These pieces showcase the first lady’s taste in color, fit, and use of multipurpose garments. They also display Welch’s knowledge of Betty Ford’s style—a trait of a good designer. Having known Mrs. Ford prior to her tenure in the White House, Welch was familiar with her client’s need to look fashionable while also being able to work comfortably in her clothing. As Welch put it, Betty Ford had a “non-fancy, not fussy look. The tailored look can go anywhere and is timeless and classic. She could go anywhere wearing the clothes we worked together to have for her.”18

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F R A N K I E W E L C H : Tailored and Timeless

This formal white crepe gown trimmed with ostrich feathers was worn by Betty Ford on August 16, 1974, to a State Dinner honoring King Hussein of Jordan; December 6, 1974, to the National Symphony Ball at the Shoreham Hotel; November 24, 1975, to the Judiciary Dinner at the White House; and January 7, 1977, to the Chowder and Marching Society and S.O.S. Members Dinner.

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This brocade pink and white gown featuring long sleeves and a rounded neckline was worn by Betty Ford September 4, 1975, to a performance of Mack and Mabel at the Kennedy Center; February 5, 1975, to a State Dinner honoring Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan; and July 17, 1975, for a State Dinner and Rhine River Cruise in Germany.

This olive green gown embroidered with flowers and featuring a high, open neckline and an Empire waist was worn by Betty Ford for a September 19, 1974, Horst P. Horst photograph for Vogue; for a September 25, 1974, State Dinner honoring President Giovanni Leone of Italy; on May 20, 1975, for a ribbon-cutting on the fiftieth anniversary of the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery; and for her October 6, 1975, official photograph in Treaty Room.

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Betty Ford wore this blue and gold checked gown on December 5, 1974, to a State Dinner honoring Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of Germany.

This lemon yellow chiffon, polka dot gown was layered over a solid yellow spaghetti-strapped gown. It was worn by Mrs. Ford on September 12, 1974, to a State Dinner honoring Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel.

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This brocade dark pink gown with gold embroidery features a high neck at the back, a V-neck in front and long sleeves. Mrs. Ford wore the gown December 10, 1974, to a Chinese Archaeological Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art; December 17, 1974, to a Christmas ball for members of the cabinet and Congress and for a photograph with President Ford by the White House Christmas tree.

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A L B E RT C A P R A RO Like Welch, the designer Albert Carpraro helped Betty Ford acquire clothing that was suitable for her role as first lady. Capraro had been born in Manhattan and attended the Parsons School of Design in New York City. He worked for Oscar de la Renta and developed a boutique collection. Experimenting with new shapes and soft fabrics, he focused on “making clothes simpler as he saw lives grow more complicated.”19 Capraro had been in business for only six months when Nancy Howe called him after First Lady Betty Ford saw his designs in the Washington Star. She liked likedthat thathehewas was American anan American dedesigner workingwith withAmerican American fabrics signer working making affordable clothes in the $80 to $200 range. At their introductory

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meeting on January 8, 1975, meeting onWednesday, Wednesday, January 8, the first 1975, thelady, first ever lady, budget-conscious, ever budget-contold Capraro that shethat wanted a spring scious, told Capraro she wanted a wardrobe that would comfortable spring wardrobe that be would be comand multipurpose. She purchased fortable and multipurpose. She purtwelve twelve pieces off-the-rack chased pieces off-the-rack from from Capraro’s spring collection, including day and evening dresses. The dresses were “softer and more casual than she has worn before, and all with hemlines comfortably covering the knee.”20 For fall State Dinners and receptions, she commissioned five more evening dresses dresses to to be be made made with with the the silk brocades and organzas acquired on President Ford’s visit to Asia.21 This first meeting was just a few months after the first lady’s diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent mastectomy. She did not let her procedure limit her wardrobe and found that she “could wear just about everything.”22 However, she was conscious about sleeve length and liked to have her upper arms covered. She did not want to

wear solely high necklines, however, and chose V-necks that did not plunge too far. Mrs. Ford liked Capraro’s designs for helping her to feel comfortable, confident, and stylish while tending to her duties as first lady. Capraro met with her once onceaamonth, month,and andalso also became a became a fa23 23 favorite designer Susan Ford. vorite designer ofof Susan Ford. Mrs. Ford’s purchases from Capraro reflected her need for multipurpose daily-use garments, including ensembles with quilted jackets. A daily-use ensemble from Capraro’s 1975–76 Resort Line that she wore on a number of occasions features a calico cotton print with jersey fabric, fashioned into button-down slim dress with tab pockets and beige stitched collar and cuffs. A matching quilted calico blazer with a four-button closure and deep front pockets was also part of the ensemble. Albert used the same fabric in a similar look—a four-piece suit that included a wrap skirt to match the blazer, khaki shirt, and matching brown cotton

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tank top. Betty Ford wore the dress and blazer during the State Visit of French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing on May 20, 1976, and during a visit home to Michigan on September 15, 1976.24 Another 1975–76 Resort Line design much loved by Mrs. Ford was a violet and white floral print cotton button-down slim dress with tab pockets and matching quilted jacket with

two-button closure and deep front pockets. She wore the set as well as just the dress during her campaign trip to Texas on April 21, 1976, and during President Ford’s whistle-stop tour of Michigan on May 15, 1976. In Texas she wore a violet cotton jersey tank, as recommended by Albert.25 Capraro’s formal gowns designed for the first lady included a floor-length

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Designer Alberto Capraro attached a note to Mrs. Ford on a set of his proposed designs with fabric swatches explaining she could make choices about the gowns after the fitting. top

Mrs. Ford discusses proposed gown designs with Capraro at the White House. bottom

This Capraro calico ensemble with quilted jacket was worn by Mrs. Ford during a campaign trip with her husband, September 15, 1976.

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two-piece suit ($180); a brown and pink floral-printed voile gown with a deep neck ($120); a peach Moroccan printed chiffon gown (under $200); an emerald, garnet, and pink floral-printed tent with a flowing scarf ($180); a challis chiffon gown with a capelet (under $200); and a cream chamois suit with a navy silk shirt (also under $200). The styles, fabrics, colors, and prices matched Mrs. Ford’s wardrobe and would be available to the public in the spring and summer. The American woman could “act like Betty Ford. Look like Betty Ford. Wear clothes—just like Betty Ford’s.”30

President Ford pose with Betty Ford and woreMrs. Capraro’s floor-length President and hisgown wife, to Siti pale pink Suharto chiffon evening the Hartinah, and dancers in the Istana annual Governors’ Dinner at the White Negara February Performance Hall during a House, 23, 1976. The dress visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, December was embellished with silver in sequins 1975. The first lady wears a sleeveless in stripes and circular motifs, which chiffon gown with Capraroevening called “cracked icematching embroidery.” cape and scarf by Albert Capraro.

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aqua chiffon evening gown with a high neck, back zipper closure, and matching chiffon scarf as well as a cape. The dress was sleeveless, but the cape provided coverage of her upper arms. Capraro sent a letter to Mrs. Ford with his design, dated June 15, 1975, explaining, “Sketched is the mint-green chiffon cape dress. It is ready for a fitting. I’ve left the neck scarf for you to decide how you’d like it. During fittings you can decide.”26 This note reveals the way Capraro collaborated with the first lady to make successful designs. She wore the gown to multiple multipleevents events including a State including a dinner in Dinner foron Indonesia on5,December Indonesia December 1975, and 5, a 1975, and a fund-raiser Republican at fund-raiser at Republican the Waldorf the Waldorf Astoria Hotel New York Astoria Hotel in New Yorkinon June 17, 27 on June 17, 1976.27 1976. A gown that further showcased Capraro’s eye for design combined with Mrs. Ford’s style and preferences is a floor-length pale pink chiffon evening gown with a high neck and long sleeves decorated with silver sequins adhered to the top layer in stripes and circular motifs, along with a back zipper closure. Capraro called the motif “cracked ice embroidery.” The design for this dress was also sent to Mrs. Ford with a note from Capraro: “When we fit you can decide if you want it or not.”28 She decided to purchase the gown, surely appreciating the high neck and long, elegant sleeves. She wore it to several events including the Governors’ Dinner on February 23, 1976, and the Jewish National Fund Dinner for the American Bicentennial National Park in Israel on June 22, 1976.29 Such Capraro designs were so admired by the public that the “Betty Ford Look” was debuted in Los Angeles in March 1975. The Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild held a fashion show and luncheon at the Beverly Hilton, featuring prominent American designers including Capraro. Pieces included a beige silk tent dress ($80); a tobacco chamois

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Betty Ford, seen with television producer Ed Weinberger and actress Mary Tyler Moore, chose a brightly colored Capraro gown for her cameo appearance on the Mary Tyler Moore Show in which she played herself in 1975. right

In August 1976 Mrs. Ford wore a sandstone striped Capraro gown to the State Dinner honoring President Urho Kekkonen of Finland, where she danced with singer Tony Orlando.

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First Lady Betty Ford wore this multicolored dress with geometric stripes and gold sparkle dashes on September 22, 1976, to a reciprocal reception with President William Tolbert of Liberia; and on March 30, 1976, to a Helen Reddy concert in Washington, D.C.

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This ivory, brocade gown featuring a gold spider mum design and fur cuffs was worn by Betty Ford on December 17, 1975, to a congressional ball at the White House; on January 5, 1976, to a cabinet dinner; on January 27, 1976, to a State Dinner for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel; and on December 9, 1976, to a congressional ball.

This aqua chiffon gown features a high neck, an attached cape, and a chiffon scarf. It was worn by Mrs. Ford on August 4, 1975, to a State Dinner in Romania; on December 5, 1975, to a State Dinner in Indonesia; on June 17, 1976, to a New York State fund-raiser at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel; and for a January 6, 1977, Yousuf Karsh photograph at the White House.

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A L B E RT C A P R A RO : Comfortable and Multipurpose

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Betty Ford wore this colorful chiffon silk floral print gown to a May 8, 1975, State Dinner in honor of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore; and for a November 17, 1975, appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

This chiffon gown features a sandstonestripe design in two layers. It was worn by Betty Ford to an August 3, 1976, State Dinner in honor of President Urho Kekkonen of Finland.

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This blue, damask “Chinese Look” dress with a bow at the neck and pleated skirt was worn by Mrs. Ford on March 28, 1976, to a radio and television correspondents’ dinner; on March 31, 1976, to a reciprocal reception hosted by King Hussein of Jordan and the Congress; to a November 2, 1976, election night party at the White House; to a November 20, 1976, dinner with President Ford and Vice President and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller in New York and on many other occasions after leaving the White House.

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Like Capraro, the designer Luis Estévez marketed his creations for First Lady Betty Ford. Born in Cuba, Estévez Esteves studied architecture at the University of Havana before enrolling in the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York. He designed window displays for Lord and Taylor and opened a business on Seventh Avenue in 1955. Dubbed a “one-year wonder” by Life Life magazine in 1956, he found success quickly. The article described his necklines that “cross, scoop, drape and cling to form tricky geometric patterns on the wearer’s shoulders.”31 He soon moved to Los Angeles and opened a boutique on Melrose Avenue, designing costumes for film and television.32 Like Welch and Capraro, Estévez created affordable styles, with form-fitting evening and cocktail dresses ranging from $55 to $150. He believed clothing should “support a woman,” stemming

from from his his time time spent spent studying studying archiarchitecture. He also believed tecture. He also believed that that clothing clothing could could be be attractive attractive as as well well as as comfortcomfortable, letting letting the the wearer’s wearer’s “personality “personality able, 33 Such affordability, come through.”33 come through.” Such affordability, comfort, and form comfort, and form perfectly perfectly matched matched the first lady’s style. the first lady’s style. Estévez was was aa well-established well-established dedeEstévez signer with Hollywood clientele when signer with Hollywood clientele when he Springs, he met met Betty Betty Ford Ford in in Palm Palm Springs, California, in 1975. She wanted California, in 1975. She wanted to to order order his designs designs at at their their first first meeting, meeting, and and his although Estévez wanted to create origalthough Estévez wanted to create original designs just just for for her, her, she she stuck stuck with with inal designs her budget-conscious decision. her budget-conscious decision. The The compromise was was that that he he would would design design compromise specifically specifically for for the the first first lady, lady, and and with with her agreement he would release her agreement he would release the the same same pieces pieces in in his his collection collection after after she she wore them. them. He He stated stated that that he he “talked “talked her her wore into the concept of wearing originals— into the concept of wearing originals— at least for for aa short short time. time. She She just just wanted wanted at least 34 34 to buy from the open line.” to buy from the open line.” As with and Capraro deAs withher herWelch Welch and Capraro signs, Mrs. Ford wore Estévez pieces designs, Mrs. Ford wore Estévez pieces more more than than once. once. A A piece piece designed designed for for her that she wore to multiple her that she wore to multiple events events

GERALD R. FORD PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM GERALD R. FORD PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

LUIS ESTÉVEZ

was was an an orange, orange, pink, pink, and and red-layered red-layered full-length chiffon gown full-length chiffon gown with with spaspaghetti straps and a back zipper ghetti straps and a back zipper closure. closure. The The gown gown includes includes aa matching matching chiffon chiffon cape—a staple in the cape—a staple in the first first lady’s lady’s style. style. The cape offered her coverage while The cape offered her coverage while alalmost most seamlessly seamlessly blending blending into into the the gown. gown. She She wore wore the the gown gown for for the the State State Dinner Dinner for President Alfonso López for President Alfonso López Michelsen Michelsen 35 of of Colombia Colombia on on September September 25, 25, 1975. 1975.35 Another Another formal formal gown gown designed designed for for Mrs. Ford was an orange Mrs. Ford was an orange chiffon chiffon fullfulllength length gown gown with with silver silver sequin sequin decodecoration in an allover floral pattern ration in an allover floral pattern that that also also borders borders the the waist waist and and long long sleeves sleeves as as well well as as goes goes down down the the low low back, back, with with back zipper closure. A matching back zipper closure. A matching chifchiffon scarf completes the look. Mrs. Ford fon scarf completes the look. Mrs. Ford would would have have been been comfortable comfortable with with the the high neckline and felt at ease high neckline and felt at ease in in the the flowing, flowing, light light material. material. She She wore wore this this gown to multiple formal events includgown to multiple formal events including ing the the American American Film Film Institute Institute Life Life Achievement Award Dinner Achievement Award Dinner honorhonoring ing William William Wyler Wyler in in Los Los Angeles, Angeles, on on March 9, 1976, and a State Dinner March 9, 1976, and a State Dinner in in 36 Madrid, Madrid, Spain, Spain, on on May May 31, 31, 1975. 1975.36 An An additional additional dress dress suitable suitable for for the the first lady was an eagle print dress. first lady was an eagle print dress. Along Along with with depictions depictions of of eagles, eagles, the the white white dress dress includes a high collar, long sleeves, includes a high collar, long sleeves, and and aa back back zipper zipper closure. closure. Mrs. Mrs. Ford Ford wore wore aa blue blue belt belt with with the the dress. dress. A A blue blue knit knit cape cape with identical eagle print lining and with identical eagle print lining and top top three three button button closure closure complements complements the the dress. ensemble was was worn worn many many dress. This This ensemble times lady. She She wore wore the the times by by the the first first lady. dress dress to to the the reception reception for for President President Ford’s election committee on April April 12, 12, Ford’s election committee on 1976, as well as on May 16, 1976, for his 1976, as well as on May 16, 1976, for his whistle-stop Such dewhistle-stoptour tourofofMichigan. Michigan. Such signs were fitting withwith Mrs.Mrs. Ford’sFord’s style designs were fitting while also showcasing Estévez’s eye for style while also showcasing Estévez’s design. Designing for her meant createye for design. Designing for her meant ing modest pieces fit forfitAmerica’s first creating modest pieces for America’s lady. Estévez remarked, “She “She has defifirst lady. Estévez remarked, has nitely influenced me toward covered-up definitely influenced me toward covfashionsfashions that are that moreare elegant than of ered-up more elegant the Hollywood starlet attention-getting than of the Hollywood starlet atten37 variety.” tion-getting variety.”37

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Betty Ford meets with designer Luis Estévez in the White House.

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Mrs. Ford chose a green Estévez gown for the State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth July 7, 1976. She is seen here dancing with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

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This green floor-length gown with flowing, sheer sleeves, and a tie-belt at its waist, features a top made of lace and sequined flowers. It was worn by First Lady Betty Ford to a July 7, 1976, State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh of Great Britain.

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This white dress features an eagle print, a high neck, long sleeves and is accompanied by a blue, knit cape with the same eagle print lining the inside. It was worn by Betty Ford to a March 22, 1976, luncheon for the Committee for the Preservation of the White House; on April 1, 1976, to a Medal of Freedom Ceremony for Arthur Rubinstein, to an April 12, 1976, Reception at the White House; on a May 8, 1976, visit to the Truman Library; on May 15, 1976, in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and to a July 16, 1976, arrival ceremony for Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of Germany

Mrs. Ford wore this dark brown, jersey gown with a white cape and a train down the back to an October 27, 1975, State Dinner in honor of President Anwar Sadat of Egypt.

ALL IMAGES THIS SPREAD: GERALD R. FORD PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

L U I S E S TAV Ă‰ Z : Affordability, Comfort, and Form

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This full-length, mauve-pink dress features bugle beads at the wrists, waist, neckline, and the ends of the matching scarf. Mrs. Ford wore the dress on May 29, 1975, to a Queen Elizabeth Piano Competition with Queen Fabiola; on July 11, 1975, to a MidAmerica Committee Dinner in Chicago; to a November 22, 1975, Moscow State Symphony performance at the Kennedy Center; on May 18, 1976, to a reciprocal dinner at the French Embassy by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing of France; and on December 6, 1976, to a State Dinner for Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti of Italy.

This chiffon pale blue and green floral dress with sheer sleeves features two belts and a scarf. It was worn by Mrs. Ford on May 17, 1976, to the State Dinner honoring President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing of France; and on July 27, 1976, to a State Dinner in honor of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser of Australia.

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Mrs. Ford wore this orange, pink, and red layered chiffon gown with matching chiffon cape on September 25, 1975, to a State Dinner in honor of President Alfonso LÓpez Michelsen of Colombia; on a November 3, 1975, trip to Jacksonville, Florida; and on April 16, 1979, to an E.M.C. Dedication Dinner.

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BETTY FORD’S STYLE LEGACY Frankie Welch, Albert Capraro, and Luis Estévez helped First Lady Betty Ford in dressing the part as a modern first lady. Their clothing allowed her to be comfortable yet stylish as well as confident that what she was wearing reflected her personal style. Her style choices were keeping with period trends while representing an economy-conscious and working woman. They also reflected her vibrant personality and fashion knowledge. Fashion makes a statement, especially for those in the public eye, and Mrs. Ford’s style statement was summed up perfectly by Welch: “casual elegance.” It was an approachable grace reserved for a proactive first lady who paved the way for first ladies to come.38

notes

The author thanks James Draper, collections manager at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who shared scans and images related to Betty Ford’s clothing collection and answered questions about the collections. The resources that he shared are in the collections of the Ford Presidential Museum in two series, Artifacts Relating to the Family of Gerald and Betty Ford, 1977–2016, and Public Gifts Given to President Gerald R. Ford, 1977–2016. The epigraph is from Betty Ford, with Chris Chase, The Times of My Life (New York: Harper & Row, and Reader’s Digest Association, 1978). 1.

June Weir, “Betty Ford Buys American,” Women’s Wear Daily 130, no. 7 (January 10, 1975), copy in Public Gifts Given to President Gerald R. Ford, 1977–2016, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (hereafter Public Gifts, Ford Museum).

2. Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, 5–6, 8, 18, 24– 31; “Timeline of Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer Ford’s Life and Career,” Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, online at https://www. fordlibrarymuseum.gov. 3. Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, 28–29. 4. “Timeline of Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer Ford’s Life and Career”; Ford with Chase, Times of My Life, 36, 39–41, 43. 5. “Timeline of Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer Ford’s Life and Career”; Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, ix, 45, 55, 58, 79, 122. 6. Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, 147. 7. Susan Bluttman, “Frankie Welch’s Boutique— Where Mrs. Ford Shops,” People, September 16, 1974; “‘Just a Shop Owner’: Eleni on Fashion,” Washington Star-News, August 11, 1974, D5; Phyllis G. Tortora and Robert S. Merkel, Fairchild’s Dictionary of Textiles, 7th ed. (New York: Fairchild Publications, 2006), 425, 553. 8. Douglas Brinkley, Gerald R. Ford (New York: Times Books, 2007), 76–77.

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9. Ford with Chase, Times of My Life, 244; Clare Hibbert and Adam Hibbert, A History of Fashion and Costume (New York: Facts on File, 2005), 38–40; Phyllis G. Tortora and Sara B. Marcketti, Survey of Historic Costume, 6th ed. (New York: Fairchild Books, 2015), 574; Frederick M. Winship, “Betty Ford Debuts on the Best Dressed List,” Chicago Tribune, March 1, 1975, 13. The list was created by the fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, who polled fashion editors and designers. 10. “Betty Ford’s Gowns and Dresses,” Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, www.fordlibrarymuseum. gov/. Almost two hundred of Betty Ford’s dresses and gowns are in the collections of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the notes below they are identified by accession number. Each is accompanied by a card with details about the dress and the occasions on which Betty Ford wore it. 11. Ashley Callahan, “Frankie Welch: Americana Fashion Specialist,” Ornament 35, no. 1 (2011): 26–27. 12. Ibid., 27; Frankie Welch, Indian Jewelry: How to Wear, Buy, and Treasure America’s First Fashion Pieces (McLean, Va.: EMP Publications, 1973), 8; Jay Calderín et al., Native Fashion Now: North American Indian Style (Salem, Mass.: Peabody Essex Museum, 2015), 22; Cindy Creasy, “Shop Started to Meet House Payments Is Style Center,” Richmond Times Dispatch, September 11, 1983, K8. Genealogy Bank, online at https:// www.genealogybank.com/. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum has a collection of Welch’s scarves.

13. Bluttman, “Frankie Welch’s Boutique”; Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, 107; Calderín et al., Native Fashion Now, 22. 14. Quoted in Bluttman, “Frankie Welch’s Boutique.” See also Marian Christy, “Betty Ford’s Style: Modest But Chic,” Boston Globe, December 17, 1974, 18. 15. “‘Just a Shop Owner’: Eleni on Fashion,” 22; gown accession number 1988.1039.13, Artifacts Relating to the Family of Gerald and Betty Ford, 1977–2016, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (hereafter Family Artifacts, Ford Museum). 16. Gown accession number 1988.1039.3, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum. 17. Gown accession number 1983.79, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum. 18. Frankie Welch, interview by Richard Norton Smith. Gerald R. Ford Foundation, online at https://geraldrfordfoundation.org. 19. Bernadine Morris, The Fashion Makers (New York: Random House, 1978), 58. See also “American Chic in Fashion,” Time, March 22, 1976, copy in Public Gifts, Ford Museum. 20. “The New Man in Betty Ford’s Life—Designer Albert Capraro,” People, February 3, 1975, 43. 21. Ibid.; Morris, Fashion Makers, 56; June Weir, “Betty Ford Buys American,” Women’s Wear Daily 130, no. 7 (January 10, 1975), copy in Capraro files, Ford Museum; “New Man in Betty Ford’s Life.” 22. Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, 192. 23. “New Man in Betty Ford’s Life”; Weir, “Betty Ford Buys American”; Marian Christy, “Albert Capraro Loves Betty Ford,” Hartford Times, February

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1, 1976, copy in Capraro files, Ford Museum; Morris, Fashion Makers, 58. Ford stated that she went from size 10 to size 6 because of her cancer treatments. Ford, with Chase, Times of My Life, 192–93. 24. Gown accession number 1987.690.4, and Capraro design, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum; Capraro designs, Public Gifts, Ford Museum. 25. Gown accession number 1987.690.9, and Capraro designs, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum.

GERALD R. FORD PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

26. Albert Capraro to Betty Ford, June 15, 1975, Gerald Ford Presidential Library and Museum. 27. Gown accession number 1983.20, and Capraro design, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum. 28. Capraro to Betty Ford, June 15, 1975. 29. Gown accession number 1992.94.2, and Capraro design, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum; Capraro designs, Public Gifts, Ford Museum. At the Jewish Fund dinner, the fund’s president, Maurice S. Sage, collapsed, and later died. Edith Evans Asbury, “Betty Ford Offers a Prayer as Jewish Leader Collapses,” New York Times, June 23, 1976. 30. Mary Lou Loper, “Premiere of the Betty Ford Look,” Los Angeles Times, March 24, 1975, G1. 31. “A Success Story in Necklines: Luis Estévez is a One-Year Wonder,” Life, April 2, 1956, 57.

33. Quoted in Morris, Fashion Makers, 70. See also Beth Ann Krier, “The Estévez Formula,” Los Angeles Times, June 4, 1975, F1; Jacobs, “Luis Estévez, a CFDA Loss”; Dale Kern, “The Man Behind the Seams,” Santa Barbara Magazine, August–September 2008. 34. Quoted in Marian Christy, “Estévez Fashions ‘Ford Look,’” Boston Sunday Globe, October 17, 1976, 14. Christy reported that Estévez also designed a bra for Betty Ford to wear following her mastectomy. See also Krier, “Estévez Formula.”

Many of Mrs. Ford’s iconic dresses were included in the Betty Ford: An Extraordinary Life exhibition (above) at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum from October 2010 through February 2011, as well as the In Step with Betty Ford exhibition that marked her 100th birthday in 2018.

35. Gown accession number 1988.1039.17, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum. 36. Gown accession number 1988.1039.5a, Family Artifacts, Ford Museum. 37. Quoted in Christy, “Estévez Fashions ‘Ford Look’”; gown accession number 1983.88.2, Family Artifacts. Ford Museum. 38. Quoted in Bluttman, “Frankie Welch’s Boutique.” See also Elizabeth Fish Hatfield, “The Checkout Line Perspective: Presidential Politics as Celebrity Popular Culture in People,” in Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics, ed. Justin S. Vaughn and Lilly J. Goren (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2013), 193.

32. Morris, Fashion Makers, 70; Alexandra Jacobs, “Luis Estévez, a CFDA Loss,” New York Times, May 27, 2015. Jacobs reported that Estévez’s clothing also had theatrical themes such as lines influenced by Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” and “Hello Dolly.”

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