The “presidentress” of the Madison administration sat for this official portrait in 1804. She wears a high-fashion empire-style dress, a style worn by many women at the coronation of the emperor Napoleon in Paris. The style featured a light fabric (muslin or chiffon) that dropped from a high waistline straight to the ground, with short sleeves and a daringly low neckline, as shown here. © White House Historical Association.