A beaded ball gown, from the 1900’s. Modeled by Sandi Denoff.
If high fashion or history appeals to you, then you will be in heaven as a parade of Victorian walking apparel, lingerie, bathing suits, and ball gowns are modeled at the Vintage Fashion Show and Tea.
This one of a kind fashion show is being held Saturday, September 19 at 1 p.m. at the Community Center. Not a fundraiser, the fashion show is being brought to Lopez Island for the beauty and joy of it.
The collection, owned by business partners Claudia Peterson and Joyce “Bubbles” Crowder, features an entire selection of Victorian walking suits, tea gowns, as well as ball gowns and beaded gowns acquired from the Lusitania (a luxury British passenger ship sunk off the coast of Ireland in World War II).
“One of the interesting things about this show,” Graham said, “is we include a history of the acquisition of the pieces of clothing themselves as well as a general history of fashion.”
The fashion show will celebrate vintage clothing from the Victorian Era to the 1950’s. “We have well over 200 outfits that are totally complete,” Glenda Pugerude, one of the event’s coordinators, commented. “In Victorian times some women would even have one rib removed to make their waists very small to conform to the style of the times. Also, they would remove their toes down to the first joint so that they could wear very dainty shoes.”
A great deal of repairing had to be performed on some of these vintage pieces by Peterson and Crowder. For example, one of the ball gowns from the Lusitania was in shreds and had to be reconstructed painstakingly by hand. An abundance of beadwork decorates this gown in particular and the work was very time consuming. Flapper outfits will be shown as well, along with Edwardian walking suits.
There will be ten models and dressers accompanying the models and several changes during the show to fully capture the breadth of the vintage wardrobe. Accoutrement include parasols, handbags, shoes, and proper headwear. The women who are providing the clothing are kindly donating their time and the use of the vintage clothing to this Lopez event.
Tickets are available through the Community Center, Blossom, Islehaven Books, Paper Scissors on the Rock, and Island Style. A $5 donation is suggested and would be appreciated.
Coffee, tea and cookies will be served, and any funds left over from the expenses of the show will go to support Young Life on Lopez Island, a Christian-based organization for kids. This event is for fun and to get friends together to share vintage clothing and stories and ideas about clothing.
