204 S. Main • Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tues.-Fri. / 1 to 5 p.m. Sat. & Sun. • 316-265-9314

Senior Wednesday

September 28th 10-11am

Dress for Success: Nelly Don and American Fashion —  presented by Marla Day

You can’t mention 20th-century women’s wear without thinking of Nelly Don. The Parsons native built a fashion empire on the vision that women deserved affordable, stylish clothing regardless of means or status. From humble beginnings, Don built a company that treated her workforce of women fairly, brought fashion to millions of American women, and became the largest dressmaker of the century. Ellen “Nell” Quinlan Donnelly’s story is one of innovation, triumph, and hard work—all rooted in her small-town Kansas upbringing. Marla Day is the curator of Kansas State University’s Historic Costume and Textile Museum in Manhattan.
 
“Dress for Success: Nelly Don and American Fashion” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.
 

Admission for non-members is $ 2.00 (free to members) – reservations are encouraged: 316-265-9314 or tours@wichitahistory.org

Register to view online

 

Fourth Wednesday Mornings at the Museum
Sponsored by generous funding through The Trust Company of Kansas and by
Mickey Armstrong, hosted by WHiMS. Doors open at 9:45 a.m., program screens
at 10 a.m. Tours follow at 11 a.m.