The hostess gown sits somewhere between casual and formal, like an evening gown crossed with lounging pajamas. It is made for a woman to wear in her own home—a place for comfort and repose. A hostess gown is often loose-fitting and brightly patterned. Yet it also needs to be elegant and memorable, designed for receiving people into the home for a party or event.
Marilyn Domoto Webb wore this hostess gown in July of 1971 to host her daughter’s first birthday party. The dress was purchased in Seattle from high fashion retailer John Doyle Bishop and was paired with a pair of orange clip-on earrings (MOHAI accession number 2014.23.4).