Fancy Pants Set Up Week: Behind The Scenes

It's been a week since Fancy Pants: A Celebration of Style 1920 - 1945, out vintage fashion exhibition in Worcester, opened at the City Museum and Art Gallery! Have you visited yet?!

Here's a few photos of behind the scenes when were setting up the exhibition.

Here Clare is laying out the fabric in the lovely big display case. We used the same fabric that we'd used to cover the top of every mannequin, to create a uniformity:

The idea for the case was for it to represent a shop window display, as the celebration theme is for that era is a VE Day street party, so it continues the street theme. The 1940s room contains more creative, informal display arrangements, this is due in part to it housing the children's activity table. The table is in front of a large, original photo of a VE Day street party so it becomes an extension of the street party celebration theme of the room.

Here we have the table and photograph installed:

Here's Clare making a final adjustment to a fantastic 'make do and mend' suit. It's an original, wartime lady's suit that has been fashioned out of a man's suit. We had to pad out a smaller mannequin with wadding and tissue to ensure the suit hung correctly:

The handmade bunting goes up to put the finishing touches on the street party theme:

A small selection of colourful patterned 1940s clothing hang from our washing line, to further allude to the 'street' element of the street party celebration theme. Here it is partially installed. Ron made us a fantastically authentic washing line!

The main room that houses the 1920s and 30s costume has a much more formal layout. This is a photo of when we were working out what to put where, before the barriers go up. The layout was informed in part by the colour of each dress and how the colours and the numbers of mannequins balanced and worked as groupings.

We also wanted to make sure that dresses with any interesting rear, side or sleeve detailing, were completely viewable. There's nothing more frustrating in fashion exhibitions when you know there's some interesting detailing round the back but it's completely hidden!

When it came to the final layout, two dresses from our original selection were dropped from the 1920s section. This child's embroidered 1920s dress is lovely but it didn't look it's best on the mannequin. It didn't quite hang right and it needed a full slip underneath to make it look its best. By removing it altogether we also had a better balance of mannequins for display:

This 1920s silk dress also didn't make the final cut. The pale off-white fabric didn't look great against the bright white walls, especially next to much more detailed dresses containing some similar colours and it didn't hang well either. Although the long, pointy collars are a great feature of 1920s and early 1930s clothing, it was one of those rare occasions when an item of clothing looked disappointingly lacklustre when put on a mannequin! 

We also had the issue of balancing the number of mannequins, and felt this was another that was best left out, rather than squeezed in for the sake of it.

One of the last jobs on the final day of setting up was making up some frames of interesting ephemera from the 1940s. Here's Clare picking some pictures and articles from original magazines:

We also filled three frames of original photos from the 1920s to the 40s, as well as original greetings cards that worked perfectly with the celebration theme. Here's Jo putting the finishing touches to the 1930s frame with a hand coloured photo of her Great Aunt Gwen as the centre piece:

When everything was in place, there was just time to make a few final adjustments just before the opening night got underway. We went round the exhibition making sure everything was hanging correctly.

It's a really funny feeling touching the exhibits once the barriers we're up, it still felt naughty even as the curators!!

Fancy Pants: The Opening Night!

Yesterday evening we finally had our opening preview cocktail party for our vintage fashion exhibition! It was perfect end to a hectic week installing the exhibits!

Here's the fabulous Victorian museum building with the Fancy Pants banner installed:

Here's Clare just outside the gallery with the fresh new signage:

Tadaaa! Fancy Pants is open! Clare strikes a pose on our super glam red carpet in the middle of the exhibition! We have 1920s fashions to the left, 1930s to the right and 1940s in the end gallery space. 

A few minutes later the gallery space was packed with people!

Here we are chatting to the Mayor of Worcester about the exhibition and how we chose the items for display:

We we lucky enough to be joined by the wonderful Worcester Ukulele Club who went down a treat and had everyone singing along. They played a super set of 1920s-40s classics on the balcony: 

There's a snippet from instagram of their performance HERE.

One of our favourite dresses in the 1930s section, a green chiffon with heavily appliquéd and embroidered sleeves and neckline:

Clare looking fit for a film premiere in her 70s-does-30s deco glam dress!

The 1940s section with some CC41/utility fashions and smattering of wartime glam:

And here we are in a final pose amongst some of the 1930s fashion exhibits!

So Fancy Pants: A Celebration of Style 1920-1945 is now officially open and on until Saturday 13th September. We hope you can visit and do let us know what you think!

We'll be posting some behind the scenes action from our set up week as well as more vintage fashion posts, plus news and events. We have 1940s fashion show on Saturday 9th August as part of the Worcester Festival, so look out for more info and details coming up about that!

A massive thank you to everyone who came out to our opening party and special thanks to the Worcester Ukulele Club for providing the perfect soundtrack to the evening! Huge thanks to Ron who built the brilliant displays and really brought the exhibits to life and to Vickie and Maggie for all their hard work providing all the cocktails and canapés!

More soon!

Newsflash! More Fancy Pants in the Worcester News!

Our exhibition Fancy Pants hit the headlines for the second time this week in the Worcester News! Here we are posing with some of the exhibits before we set them out for display. 

1930s Fashion

In the Thirties hemlines fell as well as the economy, with the stock market crash of 1929. From now on hemlines would be seen to reflect the general state of economic affairs. The difficult years that followed for many, finished off the flippant flapper-era and ushered in a more grown up decade. 

The 1930s took over the fashion reigns from the revolutionary Twenties and the explosion of the modern, media age developed women's clothing into new, and glamorous never before seen styles. Where the Twenties nada been about suppressing a woman’s natural shape, the Thirties were all about embracing it.

Construction of clothing saw great innovations with new, manmade and synthetic fabrics and the first commercial use of the zip in clothing manufacture. Despite this, it’s still quite rare to find a zip in everyday, handmade dresses of the Thirties. Side fastenings using press studs or hooks and eyes are the most common. The popularization of bias-cut dresses, which gave fabrics more stretch provided clever new concepts for fit and drapery. 

The Thirties have been dubbed the 'golden age' of Hollywood. Every women looked to the stars of the silver screen for fashion inspiration as well as escapism. It was the first time that designers in Paris we’re not the trendsetters as Hollywood studios didn’t want their stars to be seen in dated fashions once their films were released, so designers for the studios became famous for creating looks that every women wanted. 

Large ruched and ruffled sleeves are a key feature on day and evening dresses of this era. The 1932 Joan Crawford film 'Letty Lynton' is famous for influencing this look with a dress designed by Hollywood designer Adrian.

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Ordinary girls longed for the revealing, clinging gowns of the starlets, to make an entrance at their local dance hall. Although hemlines had dropped there were still outrages to be caused: this was the first time that women’s clothing was overtly sexy and newly favoured were strappy, backless, figure hugging gowns for evening wear. 

Ruffled sleeves on what would have been a handmade dress, showing the
influence of Hollywood styles on everyday fashion.

Waists returned to the natural waistline during the Thirties and one of the most famous styles from the decade that encapsulates the era, are the pretty day or ‘tea dresses’ in feminine florals, often with bows at the neck and thin belts with bakelite buckles.

The best-dressed gals about town would take afternoon tea in this style of dress, whether they were homemade by mother or by a well known dressmaker. The outfit wouldn’t be complete without the essential matching accessories of bags, hats and gloves, especially the gauntlet shaped gloves of this period

 

Gauntlet shape 1930s glove with Bakelite detail

The ubiquitous Cloche was quashed in the Thirties, and hats became much more adventurous coming in all shapes and sizes including berets and pillbox hats, as well as more structural forms embellished with feathers or flowers. 

See Hollywood influenced gowns and some fabulous 1930s hats at our exhibition Fancy Pants: A Celebration of Style 1920 - 1945 at Worcester Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 12th July.

Fancy Pants, Read All About It!

We were asked to contribute in the fashion special in our local paper this week, with all things 'Fancy Pants' on our minds we had a feast of things to talk about! With 1920s style being huge this summer, still down largely to the huge success of Downton Abbey no doubt, it seemed an obvious focal point! 

These dreamy stylish scenes have set the theme for many a wedding, birthday or celebration so looking the part is a must. We show a few sneaky peaks of the beaded and lace delights being displayed from Saturday to help fashionistas get the look!

Jo is looking great despite it being halfway through a busy prep day, spot the resemblance with her Great Aunt pictured bottom right. The 1920s beauty and our modern day gal have similar faces, especially smiles don't they?

As a blog reader we'd love to see you at the private view this Friday evening from 6.30pm. Cocktails and Ukeleles will accompany the first viewing of the county collection of 20th Century style, hopefully see you there! 

1930s culture at Madame Tussaud's!

Madame Tussaud's is one of our favourite tourist attractions, there is something slightly macabre seeing effigies you recognise from history books to Heat magazine all immortalised meticulously in wax, getting to pose next to your favourite movie star or perhaps serial killer makes for a great photo for the mantlepiece! 

This morning, at the local Carboot sale I found this fabulous original tour guide to Madame Tussaud's. 

In great condition, I imagine this was a souvenir kept for years from a special day out in London, as we might do today, put into a cupboard and forgotten about, but too good to throw away! I studied the museum during my art degree, and always felt there was more to it than the slight 'side show' appeal for the curious public, there's a great quote at the beginning of the guide saying 'the proper study of mankind is Man' I feel Fancy Pants is of the same vane, original clothing worn by real people is a fantastic way to see what was happening in the past, what people wore to work in, to dance in or even sleep in is a reflection of the era, and tells its own stories.

One of the things that fascinates me especially about these waxworks is how despite the hours that have gone into them, that they are now pretty transient, moving onto the next big celebrity quickly to keep people coming through the doors to get that make believe snap next to a pop sensation, 'ohh I thought he'd be taller than that!'

Flicking through this catalogue it is an interesting social comment to see those who were chosen important or interesting enough to portray in wax. 

As you can see, the 'music, stage and screen' section is very small in the museum, as is the sports section. The most part of the exhibits are historical, political or religious figures, far more serious and educational than the celebrity  driven tastes of today! Although I think the royal hall, and presidential section still reflects the layouts I remember..

As often with old printed matter there are some brilliant adverts throughout

And my favourite...

What a handsome chap! 

We have a busy week at Fancy Pants HQ coming up now, five days until the opening party, 6.30pm until 8.30pm, hope to see you all there!

Full Steam Ahead!

There's just one week to go until our exhibition opens and that means it's literally full steam ahead now to get all the preparations finished and ready for display.

 This week we teamed up with costume conservator specialist Althea Mackenzie. It's been great working with Althea who works for the National Trust, is an author and is super knowledgeable about how best to steam and display delicate fabrics!

We've been working in the fantastic Chemist's Shop area of the Museum and Art Gallery, until we can install next week. It's been great to see all the costumes on the dress forms.

Here's a sneaky picture of behind the scenes. These are just some of the dresses waiting to be steamed and the dress forms waiting to be 'dressed' and made uniform:

A glamorous 1930s crepe gown waiting to be de-creased in the Chemist Shop:

Althea and Clare having a closer look at this 1930s bias cut crepe:

A delicate job: working with 1920s lace:

Next week we'll be prepping the hats and shoes before the final installation day and opening soiree! Stay tuned for more peeks behind the scenes before our official opening!