Abraham Lincoln's Famous Fashion Quiz

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* 1. Who was Grace Greenwood Bedell and what was her place in the history of Lincoln’s fashion?

A glove maker from Springfield who introduced Abraham Lincoln to her client, Mary Todd.

An 11-year-old girl who inspired the president-elect to grow his signature beard when she wrote to him explaining, “all the ladies like whiskers.”

The White House seamstress who made all of Lincoln’s suits.

A family friend, and one-time crush of Lincoln’s, who gave to Lincoln his first stovepipe hat.

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* 2. No other item of presidential attire is as iconic as Lincoln’s stovepipe hat. It is believed that Lincoln began wearing the hat as a gimmick that allowed the already-tall political hopeful to appear larger than life. But the hat was not just a symbol, it had a practical use as well. What was that practical use?

Lincoln would fill his hat with ideas he would jot down on scraps of paper throughout the day

Lincoln would fill his hat with apples that he would nibble on between meetings

Lincoln kept a pistol in his hat for security reasons

Lincoln kept a small flask of his favorite Kentucky whiskey

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* 3. On the night he was killed, Lincoln wore a stovepipe hat with a dark band around it. What was the significance of this band?

Much like a wedding ring, it was a band signaling his eternal commitment to Mary Todd.

It was the presidential equivalent of a crown, signaling highest office.

It was a mourning band for his son Willy who died in 1862. It linked the Lincoln family’s loss with the bereavement of so many Americans during the Civil War. To learn about Lincoln's grief, visit our exhibit, Reflections on Grief and Child Loss.

It was a victory band, signaling wartime triumph that he wore to remind onlookers of the recent Union victory.

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* 4. One more hat question. Lincoln famously escaped an assassination attempt in August of 1864. His hat was the casualty. Where was Lincoln headed at the time of this narrow miss?

Arlington Cemetery

President Lincoln's Cottage

Baltimore

A pancake house

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* 5. When the weather grew cold, Lincoln was often seen wearing this item of clothing, reproduced in the Stephen Spielberg movie Lincoln to highlight the president’s vulnerability. What was it?

A bearskin hat

A cashmere scarf

A woolen shawl

A shearling cape

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* 6. On the night of his assassination, Lincoln was wearing a Brooks Brothers wool overcoat made for his second inaugural and currently housed by our friends at Ford’s Theatre. The hand-embroidered lining featured an eagle carrying a banner reading “One Country, One Destiny.” The phrase comes from an 1837 speech given by which of Lincoln’s role models?

Daniel Webster

George Washington

Henry Clay

Thomas Jefferson

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* 7. President Lincoln’s Cottage has worked with luxury designer Stubbs and Wootton to reproduce this distinctive item of Lincoln’s wardrobe, which has been on display at the Cottage. You can custom order them through our store.

Embroidered carpet slippers

Brogan boots

Slouch hat

Bedazzled suspenders