The era of the liberty bodice, sugared petticoats and bullet bras will come to life at the Royal Pump Room Museum this Saturday (7 October 2017 at 3pm) as costume historian Lucy Adlington rolls back the years to a time of decadence and dazzle.
‘Fabulous Fifties’ boasts a fantastic array of original garments and accessories from a time when bright colours and glamour replaced the utilitarian uniform fashions of the war years.
Lucy is part of a trio of costume historians that make up the History Wardrobe, who go around the country providing a peek into previous times through the clothes of the period.
For her Fabulous 50s presentation at the Royal Pump Room, Lucy will be bringing along an array of original 50s garments and accessories, including hat’s bags’ shoes, girdles, coats, cardigans and what she describes as “ridiculously pretty frocks”.
Lucy said:
The fifties was a time of optimism, which was reflected in the fabulous colours and fabulous patterns of the post war years.
The reality for housewives in the fifties could be far from glamorous but the clothes of the era could transform a domestic drudge into a domestic goddess, inspired in no small part by Dior’s ‘New Look’.
The fifties was the decade that reinvented dazzle.
Diane Saxon is an Access and Learning Manager with Harrogate Borough Council’s Museums and Arts. She said:
The History Wardrobe held their first ever show here over a decade ago and we have been entertained by them ever since. People can come along, relax and enjoy their sparkling dramatics and tireless costume expertise.
‘Fabulous 50’s: A Costume Presentation by the History Wardrobe’ is at the Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate on Saturday 7 October at 3pm. Tickets are £12, including refreshments.
See www.harrogate.gov.uk/museums
For more on the History Wardrobe go to www.historywardrobe.com
