Two Weddings and a Museum

     

    Changing the century

                            and the season

         The new costume exhibit at Henfield Museum

                               A work in progress     

 

Farewell nineteenth century

A new venture and a great adventure.

This week I began a project at Henfield Museum in Sussex.

I was to take down the existing display of three Victorian costumes and replace it with a new exhibit.

Fortunately for me I was to be working with Curator Alan Barwick who knows the museum (and Henfield) inside out.

The Victorian three were released from the case, gently undone and freed from their mannequins. I packed the purple and black ensemble away, followed by the grey and black striped walking out dress and a fine amethyst flounced summer skirt. Once the nineteenth century was back in the storeroom, I suggested a wedding dress theme as a summery replacement. I was delighted when Alan brought out a Peter Jones box from the 1930s.

“Have a look in there” he said.

A (costume) dream come true.

Layer after layer of tissue, net, lace and silk.                                                                                                               

 

There was  wedding dress, underslip, mob cap with fabric flowers and a pair of silk stockings.                                                                                  

Underneath the clothes was a collection of exquisitely embroidered handkerchiefs. Made in fine lawn, edged with lace and embellished

with white work.

One has a border that looks like Swiss muslin, but I think it might be an embroidery stitch? Like French knot but flatter??? Some research needed here.

The icing on this particular wedding cake was that the museum has provenance for the dress. Photographs of the bride in the dress on the day, a copy of the wedding invitation and an order of service. Plus a report of the wedding from the paper. This gives not only ‘who when and where’, but who gave what as a wedding present. (The list contains a ‘cut glass claret jug, grapefruit glasses, a silver ash tray and two pairs of bellows’…not a toaster in sight)

In addition there are handwritten notes from the bride’s daughter, giving more background information, including identifying what names the initials on the handkerchiefs stand for and who embroidered them. One other snippet from these papers says that the Brussels lace on the dress is from the brides mothers wedding dress from 1898. A treasure trove indeed.

My display has a second wedding dress, an Edwardian model. The dress was made in India, beautiful hand embroidered and as white as the day it was worn. This dress was donated by a local lady, who is in possession of a great deal of history regarding not just the dress, but the life of the woman who wore it.

Back view

                                                       

 This dress has an almost unbelievable back story involving a maidservant marrying ‘up’ and having a life in India. But, and it is a big But, sadly no happy ever after. Perhaps it is only in a book that families forgive and children are welcomed into a father’s family… instead unhappiness was to be their constant companion. Penury, gambling, daughters forced into working in sweat shops or into life on the streets …. 

But still worse was to follow…

                                                                                           

So far so good

There is much more to come about the display and the history of the dresses. 

Keep checking the blog….

Henfield Museum website.

http://henfield.gov.uk/HPC/Museum/default.aspx

It’s well worth a visit….the website and the museum….

PS.

These symbols are stitched on the top of each silk stocking.

Anyone know what they mean?

Two Museums. One Town. Two Days in May.

Röhsska Museum and the Museum of Gothenburg

Röhsska Museet och Göteborgs Stadsmuseum

SWEDEN/ SVERIGE 2015

My first trip to Sweden. And what courtesy!  Pleasant people who speak English very very well and are happy to do so to assist and greet visitors.

One word in Swedish has stuck; Fika may be roughly translated as ‘to have coffee and cake’. You have to love a country that has a special word for a cake break.

To business.

My first visit was to the Röhsska Museum and their Design History exhibition.

This featured case based displays themed to a certain time period. The set pieces featured an outfit, surrounded by tables and chairs, glassware, fabric and wallpaper. Later periods included telephones, radios and televisions. There was also the earliest microwave oven I have ever seen. A 1969 model made by Husqvarna. Resplendent in green and silver, it looks space age now; goodness knows what it looked like to people in 1969.

Each case is a snapshot of life. What people wore. Sat on. Ate off and drank from.

Wallpapered their rooms with and made their cushions out of. So many colours and designs. So much that is iconic and now part of everyday life. Sometimes it is hard to remember that someone had to invent and design these goods from scratch.

As I take you into the colourful time tunnel that this museum has created, I shall concentrate on the costumes on display.

We start in the 1890s. The visitor is drawn past silk and silk moiré dresses that show how elaborate and restrictive clothes were then. Detailed in construction, corseted, high necked, long sleeved and decorated with lace. When you arrive at the 1920s what a change. A short, loose, sleeveless dress covered in beads and a new term for the jazz age girls….Flappers. I saw the 1948 Dior dress and thought how chic it was. Beautifully tailored, button detail on the short sleeve cuffs and a diagonal run of buttons down the back of the bodice. A smart hat and three quarter length gloves. A simple nosegay of artificial flowers tucked intro the waist. Classic couture. A mere two years later Balenciaga produced a no frills skirt suit that was neat and über fashionable.  Made in a black and white mix wool, it had feature buttons on the jacket, a faux half belt and side pleats on the hem for ease of movement. The black gloves and beret were the perfect accessories. Both of these outfits were far too glamorous and fitted for you to get on to the back of the Vespa in the case…although I expect that if say, Audrey Hepburn had been wearing one of them she would have done it and looked wonderful.

Mary Quant is a fashion legend. The shown example of a loose wool dress from 62-64 reminds us that sophistication went hand in hand with mini skirts and op art. A simple shift, ‘The Souper Dress’ is printed with repeated Campbell’s soup tins. It is made from 80% cellulose and 20% cotton. Not so very different from the 1920s sleeveless shift really. Modern, of its time, young, fun and short. Then the space age adventure style of the sixties. A Courrèges blouson and trousers in red lacquered leather. With white boots and buttons and logo. Also in this case was the gloriously named Wiggle chair by Frank Gehry. Made from cardboard. Another ten years on and we are in the 1970s. I remember it well and sure enough there was a fab floor length red patterned dress. Made up in cotton jersey with kimono sleeves. Far Out! The diversity that was fashion in the 70s was pointed up by the grey and white cotton dress with long sleeves, patch pockets and same fabric long handled circular bag. Very Bucolic. A corridor leads you to a final room that is full of natural light. Not surprising since it has a wall of glass. Just the thing for appreciating the 1991 Moschino dress in patterned silk. A pattern by no less a person than Roy Lichteinstein. Striking, stunning, colourful, and sassy. Very 90s. Jean Muir is the epitome of cool understated elegance. Her crêpe dress from the 1980s has a button detail at the neck and a slim belt with a small buckle. There is no need for anything else. It is sublime. Nearly at the end now and from 2008/9 I enjoy the two smart contemporary frocks in black. One long sleeved the other sleeveless. One in wool, the other silk and cotton. Both simple, stark and definitely with the Wow factor. Accessorising them with modern/retro spectacles was a good choice. The finale was a showstopper indeed. Gaultier. ‘Madonna’. A 2007 floor length dress that combined a trompe d’oeil baby with fabric that looked like stained glass.

What can I add to that?

(Just that I finished my visit with a fika break in the café…try the chocolate cake)

Before my visit to Gothenburg ended I had a chance to see the Museum of Gothenburg. I went in to look at their costume exhibits, but ended up spending a lot of time looking at the Viking artefacts. I particularly enjoyed reading about the inheritance rights that Viking women had. Very future forward thinking. In England I have visited the remains of The Mary Rose, an English warship of King Henry VIIIs, laid down in 1510. The Viking ship remains on display here are 600 years older. Astonishing.

The costumes did not disappoint either. A gorgeous display of dress from the 18^th century showed a pannier supported dress in all its pomp, with shoes and other accessories in the case. As in the Röhsska, garments were placed in sets and scenes from their period. Thus enabling one to see how clothes and artefacts fit together like a jigsaw.

From c1810 a fine example of Empire style…white cotton spotted muslin, accessorised with a beautiful Persian patterned shawl. The light coloured spindly legged furniture added to the effect of freedom and delicacy. Next two costumes for young women, late 1800s, a check suit and a violet taffeta dress. Both replete with buttons and tucks and frills. The heavy dark furniture and elaborately framed paintings gave excellent context to the clothes. Lastly a sturdy brown ladies coat from the 1890s, with bonnets, shoes and bags all from the same period. After this I managed a peek at a poignant exhibition about Vidkärrs orphanage and then a final fika in the café (again the chocolate cake was out of this world), before a Taxi to the airport.

I enjoyed the Museums very much.

It was a privilege to see such expertly mounted exhibitions.

Tack så mycket till museer och alla de vänliga människorna i göteborg. (och din chokladkaka är i världsklass)

www.Rohsska.se

www.goteborgsstadsmuseum.se

Time Travel in West Sussex

Sometimes it’s easy to go back in time. You just knock on the door and walk into 1910.

First you have to go to Petworth in West Sussex. This is a pleasant thing to do, as it is everything a Sussex town should be. Full of history, flowers, gracious buildings and delicious food (The Hungry Guest café in Lombard Street not only has fresh delicious food, but friendly staff and most importantly to a greedy diner (Sorry that should read Foodie diner) big portions. And real butter on a plate and sugar tongs. Now I’m beginning to talk like my mother. So I’ll stop there)

Plus there is that gateway to 1910.

Go to 346 High Street, through the gate and up the path past the gorgeous pink and purple aquilegias. Then past the mangle and the meat safe to the door.

The Cottage is set and dressed as it would have been in 1910, when it was lived in by Mrs Cummings. She was an independent woman, who lived there on her own after her marriage collapsed. Like most folk in Petworth, she worked at the big house and indeed this cottage still forms part of the Leconfield Estate.

Mrs C was a seamstress who worked both for the big house and took work in at home.

In tribute to her and her skills an upstairs room is fitted out as her workroom. A mannequin is poised at a treadle sewing machine, surrounded by what used to be referred to as notions..thread, pins, darning wool, toffee tins full of useful bits and pieces, darning mushrooms and sewing machine oil tins.Her bedroom is just as you would expect a cottage bedroom to be. A beautiful bedspread on the iron framed bed, clothes hung behind a curtain in the corner. Up a flight of stairs is an attic room. Definitely the stuff of many a story.. steep stairs, small bed and a view over roof tops from the small window. Perfect  for a heroine before she marries the rich Lord….

Downstairs was fascinating.  I didn’t venture as far as the cellar, but the scullery gives you a real flavour of how hard life was on the domestic front in Edwardian times. Mrs C did have running water.. (cold only) and used a copper to boil water for washing herself and her clothes. The living room was small, dark and cosy. A table in the window laid for tea..boiled eggs, a cottage loaf and a tea cosy firmly in place. The ticking clock added to the general feeling of peace and comfort. Everywhere you look there are pictures, mementos and all the knick knacks that would be found in a home of that time.

So pay a visit to Mrs Cummings house…she might not be there, but you will still receive a warm welcome.

Details from

www.petworthcottagemuseum.co.uk, 

petworthcafe@thehungryguest.com

The Wedding

Friday the First of May, 2015

A sartorial look at a stylish wedding…

Complete with a stunning bride and a handsome groom.

It was immediately obvious that the little…and not so little…. girls present had all their Princess fantasies confirmed as the lovely bride walked up her open air aisle. Appearing through a green arch, ably squired by her papa, she smiled with real joy. This was the opening act of what was to be a true family wedding. One that had a warmth that had nothing to do with the temperature.

I shall start with the star of our show…..the Bride.

White dress. Veil. Flowers.

That’s it.

Not really.

The bride wore a confection that combined a classic satin dress with an exquisite net and chiffon overdress which sparkled and glittered with pearls, sequins and brilliants. Lines of fine detailed stitching and hints of lace swirled across the bodice and dipped away under the bust in long sweeping trails down and around the skirt. Sunlight bounced off the slender sequined straps and flashed on the jewelled ornament on the bodice. A fine gauze veil with lace edges streamed out from the back of the brides head, held in place with a comb that sat just above a strand of pearls tucked into the waves and curls of her coiffure. There were brief glimpses of her T bar ankle strap shoes, complete with peep toes and a hint of silver sparkle.

She looked at ease in her glorious gown. As if she was wearing it, rather than it wearing her. And as she later proved, she certainly was comfortable…. eating, drinking and dancing the night away. With the veil discarded, two strands of hair curled down her neck as her hair relaxed along with the rest of her. Then the high heels were off and the train was looped over one of the tiny buttons that marched down the back of her dress, and viola! there was a ceilidh dancing bride and her kilt clad husband.

It was a sight to be seen.

I was glad that the bride didn’t change out of her wedding gown for the evening. So much love and care and effort (and yes, expense) goes into THE dress, it seems a pity when it only gets worn for a few hours.

The bridesmaids were straight out of ‘Perfect Bridesmaid Weekly’ three tall slim young ladies who were poised and pretty in floor length eau de nil gowns. Columnar in design, a broad satin band under the bust gave a hint of an Empire line. The satin band was finished with a jewelled motif that echoed the detail on the brides’ dress. The bridesmaid’s hair had been styled with pearl pins which matched their pearl jewellery.

(Which was a present from the bride.)

The tiny flower girl, simply dressed in a white dress and bolero with pearl detail, proved that girls are never too young to multi task, having ably assisted with the rings as well.

The ladies of the bridal party complemented each other in shades of blue. The mother of the bride rocked a pale blue sheath, with an off the shoulder swathed bodice with more than a hint of fifties chic, teamed with a matching net trimmed fascinator and pale pearl shoes and clutch.

The grooms mum wore dark blue and white. Her slim fitting dark blue dress had a blue appliqué design on the white bodice, all topped off by a white bolero jacket with the appliqué design echoed on the cuffs.

The bride’s grandmother was quietly elegant in a blue and white patterned dress with a blue jacket and accessories. She wore a tall crown narrow brimmed hat and I believe that it was the only example of an old school wedding hat I saw all day. The mother of the flower girl showed where her daughter got her taste from. Her dark blue velvet coat with a deep embroidered hem was gorgeous. I guessed it would be a ‘name’ item and there it was on the label ‘Betsey Johnson NYC’.

nb. Before you ask, I did ask permission to scrutinise the coat. The lady had already removed it, so once I had finished admiring her strapless dark blue dress with sash and back bow in dusty rose pink, I headed straight for the label.

It’s hard to know where to start with a fashion breakdown of what the lady guests were wearing that day. All sorts of lengths were on parade. Short, midi, long. A pair of culottes teamed with a black lace bare midriff top and a plain black jacket was striking. Some gauzy floor length dresses drifted past me..romantic and fashionable. A favourite for me was a dark green dress patterned with water lilies and white cranes. It had a crossover top, which revealed a triangle of skin above the waistband of the slim fitting skirt.  Shift dresses in vibrant shades of lace gave a pop of colour and showed off some neat figures and carefully chosen accessories. Patterned dresses worn under plain jackets were a look that was popular. Two of my favourites were a raspberry patterned dress with plain raspberry sash, teamed with a raspberry jacket, bag and shoes, and a midcalf dress, black, with a colourful pattern and black jacket, ankle strap shoes and oversized clutch. Black was a popular choice in one shape or form. One extremely svelte outfit was a white dress with black piping and the reverse for the jacket..simple but effective.

Separates were as popular as dresses. One willowy lady nailed a red pencil skirt and white sleeveless top patterned with peonies. An example of  perfect coordination showed in one ensemble of blush pink jacket, light grey jacquard print dress and nude shoes / clutch. Classic glamour was present in the shape of a pale pink silk gauze coat, patterned with satin tendrils, worn over a dress of the same colour with a bead encrusted bodice.

Hats were mainly small neat shapes worn at the front of the head on an Alice  band. Fascinators ruled and everyone had taken huge care to match colours and styles. My favourite hat was a dazzling blue and white number with fabric loops and blue flowers, setting off a cobalt one shouldered draped dress to perfection.

(Well I say my favourite hat, because if I said my tiny red bowler complete with lace, bow, feather and fake diamond was the best, it wouldn’t be strictly impartial…would it?)

A red lip was everywhere and a lot of nails had clearly seen the attention of a manicurist.

The meal over, the falling away of hats began and by the time the ceilidh was in full swing, heels were a distant memory. I was comforted by the fact that the majority of the assembled company were of the medical persuasion.  I felt that an orthopaedic surgeon might well be required as the dancing and the bare feet got together on the dance floor. Thankfully not.

I could write as much again about the love and care and time that went into planning this wonderful day…but will simply mention a few standout items.

A Polaroid camera, provided for candid shots of the guests by the guests. (Am I the only person who didn’t know Polaroid cameras were back? Oh and what about Dymo labels…are they cutting edge or retro??)

Thanks to the painting skills of the bride’s father everyone had a silver horse shoe at their place as a wedding favour. No bag of sugar almonds or a box of dragees for this bride. There were white lace effect lantern holders outside and photos of the happy couple as boyfriend and girlfriend inside. Plus my personal favourite…photos of their grandparents and parents weddings. It seems only yesterday the bride’s mother and I looked that young…….

The button holes and table flowers were some of the best I have ever seen. Using lots of different sized and shaped clear glass jars and pots as vases was such a clever idea. Needless to say the flowers coordinated perfectly. Everything coordinated with everything else. Invites, cake, orders of service, the table plan and the colours of the ink used on the menu which was written on a mirror..endlessly inventive.

Oh, I haven’t mentioned men.

There were some there. The groom’s party were in kilts. Men in kilts and socks with long shoe laces and sporrans and black waistcoats with silver buttons. I shall refrain from the usual kilt based innuendo, but did note that a sporran makes a very useful handbag……

Thanks for letting me into your wedding world K &N.

It was perfect. Perfectly lovely.

FAFANGAN ANTIK SHOP. GOTHENBURG SWEDEN

Earrings coming out of your ears....
If like me you can not stand the idea of pierced ears, but feel like a second class citizen because of the lack of choice these days when you look for clip on earrings, go to Fafangan Antik in Sweden. A bit of a long haul from the UK, but a shop that has a vast choice of clip earrings. And not just any old earrings. They have pristine examples from the 50s, 60s and 70s. For those of you who have had the (oh I wince to type this) hole...or God forbid holes plural... pierced in your ears, there are a lot for you to chose from too.
The clip ons are the highlight. I came away with 2 silver pairs that are classics and will get a lot of wear.The shop is an Aladdin's cave of jewellery, not just earrings, there is bric a brac too.
The charming guy behind the counter told me that the shop had supplied the Rohsska Museum with some Dior pieces for an exhibition....they had more Dior in a case in the shop...but I shut my eyes, gritted my teeth, counted my Kronor and kept walking.
This fab shop has more clip earrings than anywhere I have found in France, Brussels or Southern England.
I shall think kindly of it and Gothenburg every time I wear my vintage silver earrings that CLIP to my ear lobes.

Tack sa mycket Fafangan Antik.

Costumes and Cuppas in Belfast.

Last Wednesday whilst I was in Belfast for a wedding (of which much more in another post) I had the pleasure of meeting someone whom I had only previously ‘talked to’ via email. And when this person you meet turns out to have been to the same school as you…you immediately relax and feel you are amongst friends.

And it was as if we had known each other for a long time as Anna Liesching the Asst Art Curator at the Ulster Museum and I had wide ranging chat. A perfect way to share knowledge, anecdotes, information and costume stories.

Talk ranged from school, (only fair to point out that Anna would have been there many years after me) to details of how a museum collection is built up, added to and maintained. I heard about the collection of Irish dance costumes held at the Ulster Folk Museum. Their exhibition ‘A Step In Time..The Story Of Irish Dance’ runs until January 2016.

We talked about exhibitions in London that we had seen. Anna was able to confirm that the Alexander McQueen retrospective was as spectacular as the PR people said it was. I told her about my association with a local museum here in Sussex and my research into dresses in their collection.

We went up to have another look at the Age of Liberty exhibition. I was delighted to hear that its run has been extended until August this year.

We both admired the sheer loveliness of these gowns. And speculated on what they would have been like to wear. I reflected that even if they were in my size, I never go anywhere to wear a garment like an exquisitely beaded evening jacket. I gasped when Anna told me that this had been taken to the Museum in a carrier bag. What a treasure to lift out of any sort of bag.

Anna has huge enthusiasm for what she does and I envy her working in the Ulster Museum. The building has spectacular light with a striking view upwards from the ground floor.

It’s lovely to talk costume with a like minded soul.

So thanks again Anna. The tea is on me the next time….