Playing dress-up

Today I played dress-up with this dramatic '30's evening gown. I bought it as a birthday present for myself. It's condition was far from perfect but overall it is strong enough to wear. I suppose I'd never dare to wear a dress like if was in a perfect state.Now I can just be dramatic sweeping the floor with my train without worying myself about ruining it...



Because taking pictures of me just standing there in a dress is just too boring I tried something different....



I think the look in this photographs turned out more Victorian/Edwardian than 30's but that probably has something to do with my upswept hairstyle.

What I have been doing

Two outfits form around 1900 the brown one is regional dress.


I've not been a very diligent blogger these last months (or year even). Here's why:
the pictures below give an impression of the exhibition I 'made' for museum Freriks in Winterswijk (Netherlands). The exhibiton was an overview of their costume collection. And yes 'was' because it ended about a week ago.
So...this is what I've been doing the last half year or so. It was the second exhibition I 'did' for this museum. (the first was held in the summer and was on women's fashion 1925-65)



My favorite dress, style polular between ca. 1845-60. Just love it...so subtle and unpretentious but material is truly stunning.



Same dress with other dresses. Purple dress is a cross-over between regional and fashionablke dress. ca. 1860-75. The skirt of the black dress might have been sestyled to be an underskirt. The bodice has some padding in the bust area. ca. 1850-65



Me and the head of collections of the museum.



The intricate detail of a mantle (pelerine)



Small silk shoulder pelerine



Stages of dressing (regional dress) around 1900, underwear, underskirts with detacheable pocket, skirt jacket and lace cap, going out wear: pelerine (little mantle) and hat worn over cap.



Detail of skirts and stocking. Exept for the white cotton underskirt all the skirts are made of heavy material, mostly wool.



Hat with velvet and silk flowers, originally worn over a white cap.




Boned girdle with fan laced back. These kind of girdles were still worn in the 50's so it is hard to tell exactly how old it is. ca. 1930-1960



Cap made of cotton worn for parties (but not for church). Placed next to a mamoth tooth.


White lace caps. The blouse is made out of the delicate lace several old caps, possibly during or just after the second world war.


'Caraco' jacket. Probably form the closing decades of the eigteenth century. Possibly (still or again)worn in the early nineteenth century.



Infants or todlers dress, mid nineteenth century.



Jacket and cap for a baby. 18th century. The figuring is achieved by stitching.


Silk pin cushion. The needles form the words 'welkom in 't leven'(welcome to life).


This is where the clothes are usually stored.

Ship ahoy!

This 50's dress made of ribbed artificial silk has a subtle nautical feel to it.



Because of the heavy fabric this dress serves me well as a party dress for the time after christmas and early spring. As it is dark blue (always my favorite in january) still has that wintry feel to it but the white elements do represent a kind of hope: either for spring or for snow ;p.