Sometimes during the studio era, if an actor or actress appeared in two films taking place in the same period, they would be reassigned a costume they had already worn. This saved time and money, as the studio already had costumes made just for that actor that could be easily pulled from stock without any altering.

Gwen Wakeling designed this gown for the 1937 adaptation of Heidi, where Mary Nash wore it as Fraulein Rottenmeier. Two years later, in 1939, Nash was able to wear the costume again as Amanda Minchin in The Little Princess.

Julien’s Auctions listed this costume in their 2012 Icons and Idols auction, where it was sold for $256. The listing describes the dress as:

A burnt orange and tan period dress… The long dress has a fitted bodice, long sleeves, and a full skirt. Inset panels of tan wool are trimmed with brown rickrack on the skirt. The dress bib, cuffs, and skirt hem match the skirt panels.