Exhibit touts fashion sense through history
When it comes to the history of women's fashion, there is so much more to the changing styles than what looked good.
Take the women of the 1890s, for example -- a decade when classy overruled comfy. They used wire and horsehair in their hairdos, shoulder pads, heeled shoes and other techniques to make themselves more equal to men in stature and height, said Dani LaFleur, project manager of "The Good, the Bad, the Fad: Women's Fashions 1890-1990."
The new exhibit, on display in the main gallery of the Muskegon County Museum, explores 100 years of women's fashion using items from the museum's collection. In all, 95 artifacts are showcased, 23 of which were loaned to the museum. There are dresses, shoes, hats, fans, handbags and other accessories, along with information panels and labels explaining the trends of each decade.
What: "The Good, the Bad, the Fad: Women's Fashions 1890 to 1990."
When: Now through June 2009.
Where: Main gallery, Muskegon County Museum, 430 W. Clay, downtown Muskegon.
Opening event: 5-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5. Eight museum staff members have period dresses dating from the late 1800s to 1950s and will do a brief fashion show at 5:30 p.m. They will explain the dresses and the time period they represent. Free and open to the public.
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. weekends. Free admission.
Information: 722-0278 or www.muskegonmuseum.org .
"I learned a lot, that is what is so fun about researching artifacts," said LaFleur, also technology and collections manager. "A lot of fashion trends allowed women to display their independence and equality to men.
"We don't think of large hairdos and big skirts as masculine, but the women of the 1890s did."
To formally kick off the exhibit, the museum has planned an opening reception and fashion show for Friday. Eight museum staff members have period dresses dating from the late 1800s to 1950s, and will do a brief fashion show at 5:30 p.m. They will explain their outfits and the time periods they represent.
The exhibit runs through June 2009 and five other fashion shows are planned. The outfits were purchased by the museum and will be used as props for future exhibits and events. Some will be worn in conjunction with the museum's four historic sites, LaFleur said.
Her outfit reflects the decade 1910-20. She will wear a traditional hat and dress for 1910, but her short hair is representative of trends of the late teens and early 1920s.
"The opening is a special experience because those of us included in the fashion show will be mingling with the crowd," LaFleur said. "When else can you talk to a flapper from the 1920s and see her dress up close?"
Museum receptionist Lorene Vandermeer borrowed a vintage outfit from her sister to reflect the 1950s. She got involved in the project because she is helping with this year's Lumber Barons' Ball on Oct. 4, and will dress in costume for that. The event's theme is "A Night of High Fashion."
"It's really great fun," Vandermeer said. "People are having fun looking at the exhibit and we as a group are having fun dressing up."
The main goal of "The Good, the Bad, the Fad" is to educate visitors about a century of fashion and what influences caused those changes, LaFleur said.
"Many people don't realize that social, political and technological changes dictated many changes in women's fashions," she said.
For instance, shorter, straighter skirts were popular in 1910 and again in the 1940s because fabric was rationed during World War I and World War II, she said. The flappers of the 1920s were androgynous because they were celebrating youth after a great loss of life in World War I. Skirts got longer in the 1930s because fabric manufacturers felt they were losing profit from the short skirts of the 1920s.
The idea for the exhibit was generated by the museum's Exhibits Committee, but LaFleur researched it, picked the artifacts and helped the Exhibits Department install it. The museum has an extensive clothing collection and wanted to share it with the public, she said.
LaFleur said it is hard to chose her favorite decade -- she likes both the 1890s and the decade beginning in 1910.
"There was a large shift between these two decades, but both are beautiful," she said. "The clothing is very feminine, but has certain traits that women used to show their equality to men. In addition, the fashions are quite different from today and are just beautiful."
People should come to the exhibit because it is a lot of fun and there is much to learn, LaFleur said. One of the outfits on loan is a paper dress, blue with pink flowers, that Susan McGarry purchased in the 1960s. She is the wife of John McGarry, executive director of the county museum.
"I don't think she ever wore it, but just bought it because it was the 'in thing' at the time," LaFleur said.
Many people who have seen the exhibit already have recognized clothes that they or their parents had, she said.
Notable trends by decade
• Corsets and a feather fan help illustrate the fashions of the late 1800s when the ideal woman boasted a large and robust hourglass figure. Tricks used to supplement the look included blouses with puffed sleeves and tall hair styles.
• In the early 1900s, the ideal woman had an "S" shaped figure and wore a large hairstyle and hat to increase her height, which was considered a sign of stature. The 1920s were a time of excess when youth was a valued commodity after the war. Beaded dresses on display were worn to Speakeasies where flappers and jazz lovers enjoyed the prohibited excesses of life such as drinking, smoking, swearing, and wearing makeup.
• When America entered World War II, all natural fabrics were reserved for use in military uniforms. Women's clothing was made from synthetic fibers and became utilitarian like the suits on display. As women started working to replace men fighting in the war, work clothes became a necessity and jump suits, overalls, and dungarees found their way into women's closets.
• The 1950s were a time of optimism, youth, and baby boomers. Party dresses were in fashion and teenagers became a fashion industry target audience. Movies such as "Rebel Without a Cause" brought blue jeans and Converse sneakers into popular fashion. A poodle skirt on display was the outfit of choice for many teens.
• Young people expressed their independence and rebellion in the 1960s with loud colors, long hair, large jewelry, miniskirts, and other outrageous clothing. A paisley jumpsuit helps illustrate the period.
• Many shocking styles carried over into the 1970s. Punk and glam movements pushed the limits, as did Elton John, David Bowie, and Cher. Platform shoes and bell bottoms on display were combined with tight fitting T-shirts as the teenagers' clothing of choice. Disco hit in the 1970s and polyester, wide lapels and flared pant legs were popular for men and women.
• Clothing in the 1980s shifted from tight fitting to loose and baggy. Jeans and sneakers went from functional clothing to designer fashions while preppies and yuppies sported loafers and off-the-shoulder sweaters.