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Maggie Reeves made my favourite dress for me and it was the first dress that Frank gave me! It was a total surprise but in 1966 as a young banker he had just been made the manager of the CIBC branch in the Colonnade on Bloor Street at Avenue Road.

Maggie was a struggling young artist/designer – I think her store was at the east end of Cumberland Street – and he managed to help her. She was ever so grateful that someone had confidence in her that she insisted on making a dress for me, his wife!

I actually kept it as it was until we came back from Washington in 1993 when I, regretfully, had it made into a two-piece but I will never forget how I good I felt in it. I felt like a queen.

Mary Jean Potter, Toronto, Ont.