Understatedly elegant and subtle in cut and styling, this moss green dress was probably custom made by couturier Jessie Franklin Turner, for its wearer Margaret Payson. The padded shoulder silhouette calls to mind fashions worn by Hollywood film stars like Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford.

Renowned for her sophisticated designs, one newspaper remarked Jessie Franklin Turner designed for “the drawing room, the terrace, and the roof garden; and every season to her is an era of elegance.” Turner’s clientele included wealthy members of society at a time when luxurious lifestyles stood in sharp contrast to Americans significantly impacted by the Great Depression. A maker’s label address dates this garment between 1936 and 1942. Margaret Payson (1888-1985), known to her friends as "Miss Margaret" was a well-dressed member of Portland and Falmouth society.