This dress was discovered in a Preston charity shop by Mrs Karlena Irvine, who immediately connected the Horrockses Fashions label with The Harris. Having visited the museum often as a child and admired its historic costumes, she bought the dress for £2.50 and donated it so it could become part of the collection she had long loved. The elegant cotton dress features a lilac ground scattered with flowing white ribbons and soft pink roses, their painterly design giving the fabric a light, romantic feel. With its full skirt, capped sleeves and gently fitted bodice, it reflects the graceful silhouette typical of Horrockses daywear.