AGRICULTURE ART ARMY

Agriculture Art Army

An Exhibition at Henfield Library

15^th February to 4^th March 2016

Discover what people wore in a Parlour, a Studio and a Mess.

Tucked away in a corner of Henfield Library from 15^th February until 4^th March is the Agriculture Art Army exhibition.

Visit your local library and see a display of costumes and curios from Henfield Museum. 

Off High Street, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9HN

Boutique Chic

BOUTIQUE CHIC 

at Horsham Museum

Runs until 30^th April 2016

Noisy, dark and cramped.

No. Not Horsham Museum. Boutiques.

I‘ve been to see Horsham's current exhibition ‘Boutique Chic’.

Tucked away upstairs in the museum in a quiet corner next to the sewing room and accessories there is a gem of a gallery. A large display case more of an attic room really, is imaginatively arranged to suggest the essence of a fashion boutique of the 1960s. All vivid colours, styles and patterns.

You can get right up close to the smaller case.

 It contains two Laura Ashley dresses.This brand perfectly captured the dreamy country milkmaid clothes with bibs and lace and long sashes and they were quite quite different to the bright mini skirts. 

The style looks older than the 1960s, almost Edwardian, but this epitomises how ‘60s fashion was being split in many directions.

 A trend that has never really gone away.

Like teenagers in any era, the desire to look different from your parents was paramount. Boutiques were smaller spaces, completely at odds with the chic quiet temples in a department store where your mother bought her clothes.

They had coloured lights and loud music. 

And the young assistants wore the fab clothes the shops sold.

And they didn’t call you madam. 

New designers meant new fabrics made into young bright colourful clothes, styled in mini,midi or maxi lengths. Unlined clothes underlined the cheap fast production methods that got goods into the shop the minute they were made. Stories were told of dresses being run up in one place and gathered up in an assistant’s arms and run along the street to the next door boutique and straight on the racks.

Horsham’s exhibition showcases the BIG trends of the sixties.

Wet Look fabric.

PVC Macs with welded seams.

Psychedelic patterns.

Short skirts. Long dresses.

Button up the front skirts.

Waistcoat and skirt suits.

Brands like Dollyrockers and Mary Quant Ginger Group.

Pucci and Vogue are represented too

 

The proof that the 60s freedoms in dress went up the age groups as well as down, was a Jean Allen  metallic gold lace mini cocktail dress. Teenager style for those old enough to drink.

It is just visible in this photo beside a snappy red wet look waistcoat and mini skirt. 

My favourite item was the green psychadelic dress. Lovely also to see the Twiggy coat hanger and the hem to neck feature zips with big rings to pull them up (and down).

I thought how the blue wrap over Mary Quant Ginger Group dress with its short puffy sleeves looked very 1980s and how the 1930s influence was represented by the purple satin Biba midi dress.

Looking at these with an older perspective, I was surprised to see how many of the clothes were dry clean only. In 1968 a mans suit cost roughly 10/6 (52p) to be dry cleaned. And as a shop assistant would be earning approx. £4 a week, it meant you had to take very good care of your clothes.

And finally.

There they were, hung up near the back.

Silver mesh stockings.

I had a pair of those.

Felt groovy. Looked mod.

Itched like mad.

And on mature reflection, pairing them with green platform heels might have been a mistake……..

A museum well worth a visit.

My grateful thanks to Jeremy Knight and Horsham Museum for permission to use the photographs.

www.horshammuseum.org

Talking about Georgian Women on a Saturday in Worthing.

To Worthing Museum on Saturday for

Depictions of Fashionable Georgian Women in Contemporary Film

The talk was delivered by Suzanne Rowland in her usual engaging manner.

SR has the knack of relaying facts and pointing out things that make you glad to know what she has told you, but you never feel lectured at. The scene was set for an exploration of whether costume authenticity mattered in film or not.  The period under discussion was 1714 to 1830. This includes (as any costume loving fule kno) the Regency period. The contrast between Georgian gowns...the elaborate wigs, huge embellished hats and big skirts and the Regency style of diaphanous high waisted straight gowns and neat bonnets soon became apparent. A Hogarth print from 1751 gave a contemporary look at what the films don’t tend to show as much as the pretty clean people…the wretched rough classes, all gin bottles and rags. But it wasn’t all lovely at the top either. A Hogarth painting of c1743 reflects the bartering of well bred scion of a noble house to a rich but a bit further down the social ladder girl. The fathers are doing all the talking and the two young (and beautifully dressed) progeny sit waiting while their fate was decided. Of course that sort of thing would never happen nowadays, would it?

How you were dressed said as much about you and mattered as much in Georgian times as it does now. The popular Vauxhall pleasure gardens admitted any one who was well dressed enough and allegedly any one who was suitably dressed might have admission to the Kings Drawing Room.

Keira Knightley playing on screen in The Duchess was the perfect illustration of what was worn in Georgian full fig. Elaborate and abundant being a description of her costume. We also learnt the significance of details in one of her outfits. Her costume worn to hear politician Charles James Fox speak at a public meeting had fox tails adorning her hat, and a fox muff for her hands. We heard how meticulous the preparations were to recreate such sumptuousness for the film. Authentic making techniques…no zips allowed for instance. Intricate items like sleeve flounces had the stitches counted to ensure that any copies of gowns matched the original 100%.

To assist in making a ‘look’ authentic, recourse to the popular literature and beauty tips of the period is still possible. Georgian women could read Ackerman’s Repository, which came complete with fabric samples and this publication can now be seen in digitised form. Makeup tips were available  from  books like the 1779 ‘Toilet Of Flora: Or A Collection Of The Most Simple And Approved Methods Of Preparing Baths, Essences, Pomatums, Powders, Perfumes, etc. You can buy this in facsimile form from a well known online retailer. But beware the beauty products… toxic ingredients were not unknown then. Let us not forget Georgian Big Hair. Georgian wigs could be huge, padded with horsehair, thick with powder to disguise the dirt and so tall that sedan chairs had high roofs and low seats to accommodate them.

SR recommended having a look at the 1940 film version of Pride and Prejudice to get a real flavour of the Georgian women + costume+ contemporary film equation. I did and realised that no wonder the clothes looked Victorian in this version. Good old Hollywood had decided authentic period clothes ‘too plain’, so redressed the story in costumes left over from Gone With The Wind, adding new gowns for the principles in the same style where necessary.

It is always a delight that so many thoughts and tangents and new snippets of knowledge can come out of a talk. And I haven’t even mentioned the wonderful examples of Georgian clothing that were laid out for us to see…more proof that Worthing Museum has an enviable collection indeed.

Thanks to SR for a most enjoyable morning.

Bien sûr. It is a suit, not a fish.

La Révolution du New Look

Christian Dior Museum

Granville France

12^th February 1947. Avenue Montaigne, Paris.

A Spring/Summer show by a new French designer.

Life Magazine reported ‘New French designer is surprise success at first showing’.

Carmel Snow, editor of Harper’s Bazaar, wrote to Monsieur Dior; ‘Your dresses have such a new look!’

This show made it impossible for American buyers to ignore the Paris shows.

US Vogue, April 1947, remarked that the construction and cut of the New Look was a great boon to those who were not entirely happy with what nature had handed out to them.

Bar was one of seven afternoon suits shown that day. It was named after the bar in the Hôtel Plaza Athénee and reflected Diors wish to embrace the post war era, whilst combining a look back at turn of the century Paris and its fashions. The suit sold in 1947 for equivalent of £2400, compared to £6500 for a HC suit now (my figures, given for comparison purposes only). Pierre Cardin was a young member of the work room in 1947. He was sent by Dior to buy sheets of cotton wool used as padding in the construction of the jackets. Allegedly Dior took a hammer to a mannequin form to sculpt it into the shape he desired. Subsequently Stockman, the manufacturers, created mannequins for him to his specific requirements. Miss Dior perfume was launched in 1947 and gave its  fragrance to the salons, its amphora shaped bottle as curvy as the New Look.

This exhibition is beautifully staged and contains the usual breathtaking collection of Dior garments. I especially liked the wonderfully evocative tableau of that day in Avenue Montaigne. Clothes from contemporary designers were used to dress mannequins to provide an ‘audience’ at the NL show. All were perfectly accessorised with hats, bags, shoes and jewels to give a black and white snapshot of the salon on the day that Bar had its first walk. A photograph shows preparations for the S/S 1947 show. A seamstress kneels in front of a model wearing ‘Soiree’ making final adjustments, while a seated Dior and entourage watch. Step ladders and a vacuum cleaner lie about and the chairs are in disarray. Next day during the show the room is packed. Photos show the audience sitting on chairs, standing in corners, looking over people’s shoulders. There is a huge flower arrangement on the mantelpiece. More than one notebook is open and poised. No catwalk, the models walked round amongst the chairs. Largely women with a few men. Most ladies wore small veiled hats, gloves and furs and pearls and skirts just on the knee. Exactly what would become the Old Look by the end of the show. How lucky we are to be able to see photographs of it all. The pictures were taken by Pat English, a photographer from Life magazine.  She had been a model before she became a photographer..this surely helped her in her work that day. 

Two painted silhouettes on the glass of one case compared the differences between OL and NL. vis;

Old Look; medium size hat. Discrete bust line.

Broad shoulders. Skirt narrow and short, 40 cm from the ground.

Platform shoes.

New Look;  large hats worn towards the front of the head.

Natural shoulders, moulded bust.

Wasp waist. Rounded hips. Very full skirt, hem 30/36 cm off ground.

High heeled shoes.

Hollywood was represented by actress Rita Hayworth. Dior had shown ‘Soirée’ at the S/S 1947 show. An evening dress from the Corolle line, navy taffeta with black point d’esprit tulle. Miss Hayworth had one in beige with white spots, which she wore to a ‘Gilda ‘gala. (Gilda was a film noir from 1946 that starred RH). She bought twelve Dior outfits at this time and there was an example on display of a suit she had purchased. Black with a hip length belted jacket with pom pom details on hem, jacket edge and cuffs. Original magazines open in the case showed how the world at the time had seen her in the clothes.

The Museum presents the whole story of Dior clothes.  Not just finished articles, but toiles showing how a jacket is constructed. An interactive display showed  pieces of a pattern that were presented like a jigsaw assembling itself and the finished coat is there beside you to see in all its glory.

The information at the museum gives us glimpses into Dior the man. In the 30’s and 40’s he had worked as a theatrical and cinema designer. He enjoyed using historical references…. the wasp waist of Belle Époque; and dance imagery; the fullness of fabric allowing skirts to swirl... just as a ballet costume would.

A tiny case in a corner held two dolls. One in a grey blue silk cocktail frock and the other in a coatdress of sand coloured georgette crêpe. Both dolls have designer labels in their dresses as they are couture garments made by the House. These Mademoiselles are Christmas presents given in 1949 by Dior to the daughters of a friend.

As I left, not having read about the Plaza Athénee reference at that point,  I asked a member of staff… Why Bar? Why was it named that?

She told me that ‘Bar’ is an outfit to wear to go out socially, for example to visit a bar.

Then she added that some French speakers think the name has something to do with fish….bar is the French for bass.

And in understanding that sentence, I realised that doing my French homework had been worth it after all…

Museum and Garden Christian Dior

Villa les Rhumbs

1 Rue d’Estouteville.

50400 Granville

France

www. Musee-dior-granville.com

musee@museechristiandior.fr

With my very grateful thanks to Musée Christian Dior for permission to use these photographs.

2 Feet. 2 Shoes. 2 Levels of comfort.

Slipper of Shame & Fab Flip Flops.  

Today I did something that I thought that I would never do. In need of slippers and flip flops, I went into a shoe shop. So far so good. Need shoes go to shoe shop. It was there that I found myself spiralling down into a vortex. A place so dark and ancient that I had not thought was open to me for eons to come.Before the full horror of my slipper shame is revealed, I can speak with a glad heart and clear conscience of the ffff. 

The Fab Flip Flops in Fire Engine Red. Sleek. Smart.Sassy.

Easy to try on and easy to walk in. Will the strap rub between my big toe and the next to big toe? Will grit get in between my foot and the shiney base? Will they catch on loose mats and make me stumble? Of course they will. But they look FAB.

And now my confession. 

A confession to  something that I thought only other people did.  To something so far from my conscious mind that I had never given it creedence. The begining of a slope so slippery that it can only end in cardigans and taking your coat off inside to feel the benefit when you go outside. OK. Here it is.

I chose a pair of slippers because they were comfortable.

Yes. I know it is shocking. They were pink (still are) and grey and lined in pink, grey and blue check cotton. There is a heart shaped patch of this cotton on the toe trimmed in pink. There is a flower embroidered on the heart and beneath it a slogan in italics....'sheer girl'. The final touch is a pink velvet bow, placed jauntily on the heart. NONE of these appeal to me. I HATE pink. Hearts and meaningless slogans should stay where they belong ...on a Valentines card. But they are soooo snuggley and cosy and fluffy and yes, comfortable and nothing rubs and they are soft.

So here I am in that spiral,that vortex of buying something because it is comfortable and not because it looks good. 

What's next?  A vest? 

Please do not judge me too harshly. It will happen to you one day....

Mostly Cream with Coffee. Plus Pink and White.

Something Old Something New

Wedding Dresses from 1850-1980

Bexhill Museum

Until 6^th December 2015

OLD AND NEW

Lots of cream satin and pearls. A coffee coloured silk chiffon and lace dress and jacket. A pink lace dress and jacket and of course some white lace.

There was so much to see and enjoy at this wedding dress exhibition. All the dresses were of exceptional quality and there were a great deal of accessories and extras to see…shoes, wedding favours and headdresses to mention but a few. The Star shaped case layout was excellent. You could see all the way round the dress. So much better than just the front. And there was a Catwalk display too. It was marvellous to see the clothes out in the air as it were. You could get up close and have a peer with out glass getting in the way. I have rarely seen such a collection of high quality, beautifully conserved garments as I did in Bexhill. All the examples on display were exquisite and some were more exquisite than others. (apologies to G. Orwell)

Rather than try to describe the feast for the eyes that all these dresses presented when you walked into this large, calm room…here are a few tidbits to tempt you to go to see it for yourself.

A ‘Second Day Wedding Cap.’ 1842  

CAP 1842

Silk and lace and pearls. Worn by the bride the day after the wedding.

I have to confess that this is a new idea to me. I hope readers can enlighten me as to some history of second day caps?

Waterfall. Tumbling. Two words that describe this fabric made ‘false’ bouquet from the early 19^th century. (See Old and New photo above)

1857 FRINGE

Victorian fringes and an attached overskirt.             And not shown, but held by Bexhill, are the many love letters from the groom to his be fringed bride.
All together now. Ahhhh.

                                                

Veil

An Edwardian Veil in embroidered lace

From Bourne and Hollingsworth in London. A long time later it came back to the shop to be looked after. The shop closed in 1970 and as the veil was unclaimed, it was given as a memento to a staff member. 

1932 Rear View

This bride of 1932 has left us her silk crêpe de chine, cut on the bias dress with its draped neckline and long train. She also left long locks of auburn hair, which the museum has in store. Whether she sported said hair at the wedding is not recorded.

Proving chic is timeless, a pink lace 1940s suit that was worn by a 1997 bride can be seen in the photograph of the catwalk.

1960s Classic  

1960s Wedding Dress.

A classic. It’s all there. Full length. 

Nottingham lace. Under wired petticoat.

Catwalk

The most recent dress (2007) was startling in style...Goth ...as well as colour. It was green and purple. (Although green and magenta were popular bridal colours in the 1860s)

The bolero jacket was worn over a ruched and beaded bodice, with some dramatic rear lacing to the bodice and a bustle and a train. A bridesmaids dress was a less elaborate purple version of the brides dress.The more I studied these, the more I liked them. The detail and the drama of these dresses was superb.

There are top class information sheets for the wedding dresses which are portable…greatly appreciated.

Don’t miss the fascinating social and dress history on permanent display in the room.

Thanks to Bexhill Museum for permission to use these photos.

Special thanks to Karen for her help.

Hello to the friendly volunteer staff I met.

www.bexhillmuseum.co.uk

 And finally. Can someone please tell me what Petal Dust was used for? A bridal ensemble from 1921 included a packet of this. The notes describe it as an accessory. Was it scattered like confetti? Used as rouge? Dusted over cocktails? ? ? ?

 

Definately a voice for radio

CLICK AND GO.....



Click on this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02x1683

And go to 2 hrs 40mins 

You will be rewarded with my interview on Radio Sussex on 5th August 2015

I am talking to the lovely Allison Ferns

You will find out all you ever wanted to know about

How fabulous I am

How extremely good I am on the radio

How mellifluous is my voice

How I bet you wish you had that husky chuckle

Volunteering at a museum.

I am lucky enough to be responsible for the costume collection at my local museum...so listen up and see what you might go on to do.....