Call It What You Want...

One of my big interests in going on my trip was the chance to see some great fashion from my way-back-when time periods. There was a chance for me to get study appointments at both the Fashion Museum at Bath and the Victoria & Albert Museum, but they were for naught.

I got a glimpse of fashion anyhow.

This is a fabulous ventilated corset that Paula and I would love to replicate at our Prairie. The time is a little late, though (1890), but I did see documentation on one that was ventilated around the waist, so that's a great start. (This is at the V&A.)

We were a little disappointed in the Fashion museum at Bath, especially since (*horror of horrors*) they do not display their stuff chronologically but by subject. And the text on the displays was pretty dumbed-down. And some of the things I was interested in were made harder to see because of bad lighting. But.

This shows the new analine dyes that made some bright colors possible for the first time. Before, all dyes were natural and left many bright colors unachievable or unstable. Chemical dyes were more stable and able to last through the ages. Like this. :)

A nice corset.

A bustle dress to die for. I swooned.

Even David got into the fun in the interactive part of the exhibit.

At Shakespeare's Globe Theatre "Experience" there were some costumes on display. I know they're not real olde-tyme, but they were nice and cool (they were form performances).

I wouldn't mind wearing this.

What man wouldn't look dashing in this? (Especially the ruff. Every man needs a good ruff!)

Mer, how am I doing? :)