The Duchesses and Dior

"When Dior invented the New Look in 1947, my mother-in-law, 'Moucher' Devonshire and her friend, the Duchess of Rutland, who were in Paris for a less frivolous reason, wanted to see the collection.  They arrived at Avenue Montaigne in their tweed overcoats, which had done years of war service, and ditto shoes.  They weren't allowed in. Of humble nature, the two duchesses were disappointed but not at all surprised.   They sat on a bench eating their sandwiches to pass the time till they could decently return to the embassy where they were staying."

From Debo, the Duchess of Devonshire's book, Counting My Chickens