The bloomers were from the Great Depression era c 1930
and probably made from an old sheet.
and some lace around the legs.
than you and I would probably wear today!
given to her costume collection by owner Loel Thompson,
‘and not very well made either’ she adds.
It’s a clever way to grab your attention
especially as Loel contrasts the sheet knickers with a delicate trousseau
the period in history,
how these particular garments found themselves in Australia
and then a final one, about how they came to be in Loel’s collection.
She has learned to be discerning
…and is often offered wedding dresses galore!
a suburb of Melbourne.
It is open by appointment
and entry is in exchange for a donation to charity.
Which is how through our School’s International Parent group
that I ended up four Australian, Indian, British and Persian friends
admiring fashions through the ages.
The clothes and accessories are staged into decades
with period pieces of furniture to further enhance the story.
We were fascinated by this 1890’s china tea cup
with moustache rest!
Some of the clothes didn’t seem so old fashioned to me …
but I saw my friends looking long and hard.
I look at each of us each brought up with different
fashions, customs and lifestyles.
We had such contrasts as to what we
would have considered the height of fashion as we grew up.
Even today, all dressing ‘Aussie’
we have kept some respect for the fashions of our heritage
Whether it is a love of bright clothes and silks
or some jewellery that was originally bought overseas.
Maybe it was a Sari or a Middle Eastern veil
I remember longing for a pair of green Hunter wellington boots,
every country British kid would have a pair of wellies!
We had such a lovely morning,
given we were all brought up on many different continents
it was fascinating seeing which clothes resonated with each of us.
Ohh Mary Quant tights – did you have these in India?
We were so lucky to have had the opportunity
for a private tour of The Costume Collection
Thank you Loel!
