now, helen taft got interested in the exhibition. now, helen taft, she was the first lady at the time, and she contributed her 1909 inaugural gown. so, she set sort of the tradition of giving your inaugural gown. every first lady since then who has had an inaugural ball has given her inaugural gown. >> has anyone ever refused or balks at the idea? >> i don't think anyone has ever refused, but edith roosevelt, who we'll see around the corner, we'll also see her inaugural gown, she didn't have a lot of patience for this. she was not first lady at the time. but she said she didn't save clothing, that she cut it up and made other things out of it. so, she did not donate anything to the collection. her daughter, however, later did. and what she donated was the inaugural gown. but mrs. roosevelt wasn't kidding. the bodice had been removed from the dress. >> does that give us context at the time that that was a traditional, normal thing to do? >> mrs. roosevelt said she liked to cut them up and satin gowns or silk gowns made tea gowns. it m

now, helen taft got interested in the exhibition. she contributed her inaugural gown. she set the tradition of giving your inaugural gown. every first lady since then has given her inaugural gown. >> has anyone every refused or balked at the idea? >> i don't think anyone has refused. edith roosevelt didn't have a lot of patience for this. she said she didn't save clothing. she cut it up and made other things the out of it. she did not donate anything to the collection. her daughter later did. she donated the inaugural gone. the bodice had been remove frd the dress. it has a prop bodice. >> does that give some context of the that it was a normal thing to do. >> she said they worked very well as tea gowns. it may have been a quirk of hers or a thrifty quirk that she remade her clothes. >> why do we care so much? it seems on every occasion we're looking to see what they're wearing? >> i think we have become a red carpet culture thatlike to look and analyze what people are wearing. people were interested in what martha washington was wearing. i think it's because we look t

now, helen taft got interested in the exhibition. she was the first lady at the time. and she contributed her inaugural gown, her 1909 inaugural gown. she set the tradition of giving your inaugural gown and every first lady since then who has had a ball has given her gown. >> has anyone ever refused or balked at the idea? >> i don't think anyone has ever refused but edith roosevelt who we'll see around the corner and see her inaugural gown, she didn't have a lot of patience for this. she was not first lady at the time. but she said that she didn't save clothing. that she cut it up and paid other things out of it and so she did not donate anything to the collection. her daughter, however, later did. and what she donated was the inaugural gown but mrs. roosevelt wasn't kidding, the bodice had been remove the from the dress. it now has a prop bodice. >> does that give us some context at the time? >> mrs. roosevelt said she liked to cut them up and said satin dresses worked very well as tea gowns. it may have been a thrifty quirk of hers that she repaid her clothes. >> it'