Handling Session

Bath Fashion 
Museum Handling session
Tracey, Katie, Susie, Jade and Leah went to the Fashion Museum to
research costume in detail on Friday 8th September.

We arrived at the Fashion Museum. We went upstairs to a room with loads
upon loads of books. Fleur Johnson was great and worked with us all day.
We learned such a lot.Fleur got out some corsets. The dress we saw was
absolutely exquisite, amazing
I’m amazed because they had to hand sew the dresses, and a girl who did
this would have made herself go blind, sewing by candlelight.

Flour said that the clothes we tried on are designed for us to try on,
but the ones we went to see were originals and very delicate.

The shoes were silk so on a rainy day they would get damaged.  They
would wear cloaks and put  hoods over our heads.  They would only walk
short distances.  So either you did not go out, or the carriage would
take you right to the front door of where you were going.  Poor people
wore leather shoes. A bonnet kept you warm in the winter.

I thought Oh a bonnet! and I was just about to try it on, but she said
no.  Hairspray and perfume and grease and sweat will damage them. Light
and warmth do too.

In the 18th C they would put on a petticoat, then a corset, then a
dress, then some fascinators, like a scarf then gloves then wig, then
bonnet, then cloak.  I said “Cor Fleur, I would have to be up at 4
o’clock in the morning to get all this gear on!” I was really
gobsmacked. They wore different clothes for different occasions.  

Alice hopes to revisit the museum to look at all the books.