Dress and Drinks: Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens

Join us this month as we speak with Megan Martinelli, Associate Curator of Textiles and Apparel, Jewelry, and Accessories at Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens in Washington, DC!

Martinelli is always looking for the story – its characters, influences, and repercussions – woven into each piece she discovers; naturally so, as she obtained a BA in English Literature at Providence College before her Masters in Historic Textiles and Costume at the University of Rhode Island. After working in the Historic Textile and Costume Collection at URI, Martinelli went on

At this month’s Dress & Drinks program, attendees can expect to learn a great deal about the story of Marjorie Post, and those of dress at large, through Martinelli’s work. Post’s sartorial choices reflect “a growing American industry[,] how [it] was evolving to encourage native designers.” While she could have afforded to wear major French couture designs, she felt it important to support smaller dressmakers, “largely first generation immigrants to the US like Oldric Royce or Frances Spingold of Madame Frances.” And in Post’s case, an in depth focus on one individual allows for great scope as well. Her four wedding dresses, all preserved, span incredibly distinct silhouettes in fashion history: 1905, 1920, 1935, and 195*.

Learn about this and more at our Dress & Drinks. Join us April 26 at 7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific for the program!

Our Cocktail for the Evening: the Gin Rickey

Named after a democratic lobbyist in DC in the 19th century, Rickey himself had this drink with Bourbon. Gin later surpassed this version in popularity and the Rickey became the official drink of the capitol!

• 2 ounces gin
  
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
  
• Club soda, to top
  
• Garnish: lime wheels
  
• Fill a highball glass with ice and add the gin and lime juice. Top with club soda. Garnish with 2 lime wheels.

Non-alcoholic Version:

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from 6 to 7 large limes
  
• 4 ounces simple syrup
  
• 12 ounces seltzer water
  
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• Mix lime juice and simple syrup. Fill four glasses with ice. Divide the mixture between the glasses, top off with the seltzer water and finish with lime wedges.