The Belles of the American Royal (BOTAR) have been supporting agriculture education in Kansas City for the past 75 years, and it’s about time we celebrated. They’re breaking out the bubbly and their coveted collection of historic gowns for Cocktails and Couture, a night of fashion and history on February 29.
The gown collection dates back to 1949 and is widely acknowledged for its quality and historical significance. BOTAR is one of the only organizations in the country to have one of this size. A 75th-anniversary book celebrating the organization, titled simply, Botar: The Gown, describes how protocol in gown choices and styles has evolved throughout the years:
In the early years, the Coronation Ball Committee chose the gowns because they faced the task of coordinating the look with the American Royal Court, which included the Queen, the Princesses, the Royalettes, the Flower Girls, and the Pages.
When BOTAR established its own set of officers in 1959, the Executive Committee provided guidelines for the gown selection, and the Gown Committee contracted fashionable stores or reached out directly to designers. Once several options were chosen, the gowns were modeled for the Executive Committee, which made the final selection. In these years, the guidelines might simply point to a color choice—or be very specific with certain details.
In the early 2000s, each year’s BOTAR President, with the help of her Executive and Gown Committees, became the driving force behind gown design. Kansas City designer and seamstress Mary Neddo came on board to refine and fulfill the President’s vision and to create the gowns for the organization.
The BOTAR Organization is fashionable, but also about so much more. The women’s organization is one of the largest contributors to the American Royal in addition to funding a four-year college scholarship to young women pursuing degrees in agriculture.
Cocktail and Couture is on February 29 at 6:00 p.m. at the Grand Ballroom in the Kansas City Convention Center. Find out more information or buy tickets here.
