2025 Spring Speaker Series | Styles of the First Ladies

Behind every successful man is a woman. Join curator & collections manager Susan J. Jerome to explore the fashions of the ladies behind some of America’s presidents. The job as First Lady to the nation is not one to which these women were elected, yet they served as the president’s hostess and confidante during times of war or peace and prosperity or poverty. Explore how the changing social, political, and economic tides from 1789 to the present influenced the fashions of the day and take a closer look at the clothing of those behind the presidency.

About the Speaker

Susan J. Jerome is the Collections Manager at the University of Rhode Island Historic Textile & Costume Collection, having earned her MS degree from the URI Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising & Design. She also works as Curator/Registrar of the clothing collection at the University of Connecticut. Ms. Jerome has taught about the history of textiles, apparel construction, and the reasons why humans dress the way we do around the world.

About the 2025 Spring Speaker Series – Dressed to Impress

Join the Fairfield Museum for the Spring 2025 Speaker Series inspired by our new exhibition Dressed to Impress, which will open on May 3, 2025. Throughout the Spring 2025 Speaker Series, costume experts and curators will unveil the fascinating stories behind the fashions of different time periods, exploring how people dressed from high society to presidential looks to extravagant dress balls.

Additional Lectures in the Series:

March 2 | Posture, Motion, Poise: Fashion & Appearance | Ned Lazaro

April 6 | What to Wear to the Fancy Dress Ball? | Karen DePauw

Light refreshments provided. Registration is required. $15 per talk | $45 for the series, $40 for Members