A hat with net trim, a string of beads and a small purse added the finishing touches to this dress and rabbit fur coat, which were owned by Gertrude Martha Campbell (née Jane) of Christchurch. Gertrude would have been in her early fifties when she first wore this outfit, although somewhat differently from this presentation because the coat was originally a jacket. It has been lengthened using the same fur, which has been added in a chevron pattern that echoes the cut of the sleeves. Gertrude and her husband Peter had four sons. Their third son preserved this dress, along with Gertrude’s china and linen, for more than 60 years until his own death. It was then inherited by his daughter. Read more about wearing the colour black in the New Zealand Fashion Museum publication Black: The history of black in fashion, society and culture in New Zealand.