A Museum In A Shirt Factory. Un Musée Dans Une Usine De Chemises.

Musée de la Chemiserie

Argenton-sur-Creuse

Indre. France

http://www.museedelachemiserie.fr

Shirts in colour and shirts in white

Colourful cufflinks and collars in a box.

The museum of shirts has certainly got shirts, but it also has cufflinks and collars, waistcoats and dressing gowns.

To give it its full title ‘Musee de la Chemiserie et de l’élégance masculine’ (or the Museum of shirt making and masculin elegance if you prefer) is a gem. Single themed museums can be a little specialist, focused if you will, but they can also introduce you to ideas and styles and images that you have missed,

The museum building is a former shirt factory and is large and light and airy.

There are temporary and permanent exhibitions.

Up to the permanent exhibition first.

17thcentury

First you see the white billowing shirts associated with cavaliers and cads.

Then into a beautifully laid out gallery, which gives the impression of a gentleman’s club. Notices are in English and French, ensuring you get all the details.

 

The story of the shirt and its place in society plays out case by case. White shirts, collarless shirts. Colourful shirts.

And a few curios like the shirt worn by Frank Sinatra, designed with a panel from the back buttoning at the front to make sure his shirt stayed neatly tucked in when he was on stage.

There are work shirts and sport shirts and military too, contextualised with notes, ties, and original packaging.

Collarless shirts and collars to go with them abound. A few waistcoats have their place, as does mention of personal hygiene and bathing habits.

Pleasing to note that laundry was sent by to England by the rich in the 1900s. England was considered to be the only country that had the secret of perfect laundering and starching.

 

 My favourite part was the cufflinks.

 The case of 1970s cufflinks speaks volumes about taste in the 70s, not to mention how strong shirt wearers arms where.

Much use is made to very great effect of contemporary publicity materials. From a gorgeous art deco green shirt advertising prop to a Don Draperesque crisp white shirt and tie shop fitting.

       

 There is a marvellous recreated workroom you can walk round, describing daily life in the factories.Sadly it also details how the shirt industry has shrunk. During the Belle Époque (1871-1914), described as the golden age of the shirt factories in the region, 3000 workers were employed in various workshops; by the 1960s 17 workshops employed 1200 machinists. They made for Dior and Pierre Cardin amongst others. No wonder Argenton was known as ‘La Cité de la Chemise’….’The City of the Shirt’.

The temporary exhibition at the moment is about dressing gowns. It is charmingly entitled ‘Home Sweet Home, Cocooning au masculin’, which is a lovely title what ever language you speak.

         

Well worth a visit to this and to the whole museum.

With grateful thanks to the Museum and to the Curator Mme Nathalie Gaillard.

Merci Mme Gaillard. Votre musée est splendide et très intéressant. J'espère que quiconque lira ce blog pensera à visiter le musée un jour. Merci gracieusement.

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