Former First Lady Betty Ford Has Died
First Lady Betty Ford has died. She was often interviewed by women’s page editors who covered the wives of politicians.
While much of the American fashion world has focused on New York City and Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s, Washington, D.C. was often the place for fashion to be showcased. The wives of political leaders could set – or reject – trends in the clothing they wore to the various formal functions they attended. This was, of course, before there were many female lawmakers who could set the trends themselves.
And these women were often listening to what Washington Star fashion editor Eleni Epstein had to say. For example, Epstein recalled getting a phone call from First Lady Betty Ford after Epstein had written about the New York designer Albert Capraro. Ford soon began wearing the designer’s clothes. Epstein held the power to impact what a first lady would wear.
I am rewriting a paper about Eleni Epstein based on materials from several archives.
