“Party in the Garden” is an accompaniment to “Revolt in the Parlor.” The vignette focuses on an essential yet unexplored aspect of the collection, showcasing the remarkable artistry, technical mastery, and cultural importance of clothing from the 1920s. It also commemorates, one hundred years later, a garden party tea astride Lake Osceola hosted by Elizabeth Morse Genius (1872–1928) and her husband. Social teas of the 1920s were a more conservative reflection of a remarkable fashion era in America, unparalleled in the sheer magnitude of cultural change.

The decade marked a shift towards modernity, breaking away from Victorian styles. Women’s fashion embraced dresses in tubular forms that were less fitted, with dropped waists and shorter hemlines. Fabrics became lighter and more comfortable, favoring movement and casual silhouettes.

The era was not simply about looking modern. It was about claiming space, rejecting limitations, and expressing a new kind of femininity that previous generations could not have imagined. Drawing from the Morse’s robust costume holdings, “Party in the Garden” invites visitors to consider the enduring power of fashion as an expression of identity, innovation, and exquisite craftsmanship.