Power of Fashion - 300 years of clothing

Today I got the privilege to see the new exhibition at Nordiska Museet here in Stockholm. The exhibition is the museum's new, permanent installation of historical fashion.

I have longed to see it for quite some time now, and was very excited now when the big day had arrived!

I had understood that the exhibition was arranged so that rather than being a time-line of fashion, it would more or less pin-point three decades of fashion - the 1780's, the 1860's and the 1960's.

This disappointed me a little (no high-waisted era?!?) but bits and pieces of other eras were included after all, so I decided to only enjoy myself, and to love what I saw!

I really liked that they included clothing of the common people as well as the fashionable since it's not very documented, it added some depth.

But enough talking - we want pictures, don't we? I'm afraid you have to accept them as they are; it's not easy to snap pictures through glass, especially not when there's a pesky blue light that's reflected in the glass on all the display cases along one certain wall!

But here we go!

Stays! One pair of child's stays and another pair for a woman.

By pressing my face to the glass, I managed to study the stitches for the channels more closely, and suddenly I don't feel so bad about my own stitching any more! You may be able to see the stitches on the child's stays pretty well if you enlarge the photo, but the other pair didn't have the smallest, tightest stitches either!

The stitches on these pocket hoops are terrible! Yay for lazy seamstresses from all ages!

A lonely stomacher! Where did it's gown go?

A well-off farmer with his pipe.

A servant girl in rural clothing.

A dozed-off Scanian peasant woman in her finest bling (see Anna's comment for some interesting bits)!

This mannequin depicted a country clergyman's wife, who set the fashion example in rural areas.

Buttons, buttons... With miniature paintings!

A quilted garment, probably imported from France. Some assembly required.

This gown was lovely in salmon pink. When you watched closely, the silk really resembled what we refer to as silk dupioni! A smooth one, but nevertheless.

The man's suit in patterned velvet was fun to see, because I've only seen it in a B-W photo until now.

People of the common classes in the late 18th century, dancing away...

It was hard to get a good picture of this lovely gown...

...and even harder still to get good pictures of this gentleman. He's wearing the National Habit, or Swedish Habit.

I love how this jacket has an asymmetrical, wrap-style closing! And the fabric!

***

This was by no means a huge exhibition, but I only showed the 18th century stuff now. I has moar pictures.

By the way, I have not forgotten about the give-away; there just hasn't been much time for working on it! When I can show some proof, the winner will be announced (but I don't know who it is yet myself!)