Timeline

Timeline

Stomacher
1700s

Stomacher

Acquired from Jenny Pearson Stomachers were flat, roughly triangular pieces of fabric that were pinned...

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Waistcoat
1720s

Waistcoat

Acquired from Jenny Pearson Probably the earliest waistcoat in the John Bright Collection this example...

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Waistcoat Panel

This front panel is all that remains of a once fine waistcoat. Its seam lines...

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Suit
1740s

Suit

This man’s suit, comprising a coat, waistcoat and breeches, was acquired in Paris. It appears...

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Panel
1750s

Panel

This panel, likely to have been woven in the Spitalfields district of London, the centre...

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Baby’s Gown

This gown would have been worn by a baby for a formal occasion, such as...

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Coat
1770s

Coat

By the last quarter of the 18th Century simplicity was becoming equated with elegance in...

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Coat
1780s

Coat

By the last decades of the 18th Century wool had taken over from silk as...

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Waistcoat
1790s

Waistcoat

The number of surviving cream or white cotton waistcoats embroidered in metal thread with swags,...

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Shoe
1800s

Shoe

Acquired from the costume designer Dinah Collin. Found abandoned in a theatre more than thirty...

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Stole
1810s

Stole

The production of luxury accessories such as the fashionable stoles of the early 19th Century...

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Stole
1820s

Stole

The production of luxury accessories such as the fashionable stoles of the early 19th Century...

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Shoes
1830s

Shoes

These delicate shoes have been made of straw and horsehair, also known as crin, intricately...

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Bonnet
1840s

Bonnet

Until the mid 20th Century etiquette required women to cover their heads outside their own...

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Braces
1850s

Braces

Braces were worn to keep trousers in place throughout the 19th Century and the first...

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Overbodice
1860s

Overbodice

This unlined underbodice of pale yellow silk shot with silver grey fitted over the bodice...

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Dress
1870s

Dress

This style of one piece dress, cut from shoulder to hem without a complete waist...

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Hat
1880s

Hat

This style of hat, often referred to as a post boy or postilion hat because...

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Braces
1890s

Braces

Braces were worn to keep trousers in place throughout the 19th Century and the first...

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Suit
1900s

Suit

This practical suit, ideal for walking and other outdoor pursuits, has been made from warm,...

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Child’s Suit

This small boy’s two piece suit of cool, comfortable, practical linen is simply cut for...

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Dress
1920s

Dress

Acquired from the costume designer Shirley Russell The loose structure of this summer afternoon dress...

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Fabric Sample

‘Cornish Farm’, in common with many of his designs, is clearly based upon one of...

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Suit Jacket
1940s

Suit Jacket

Label ‘Modèle Molyneux 48 Grosvenor Street London         Made in England’ After having worked for the...

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Hats
1950s

Hats

Shallow, brimless, symmetrical shapes sitting squarely on top of, or lightly hugging, neat short hairstyles...

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Dress
1960s

Dress

Acquired from Hermione Harris This evening dress was worn by Hermione Harris, later an eminent...

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Dress
1970s

Dress

Label ‘Jean Muir London’ Unlike many fashion designers who became successful in the 1960s and...

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Jacket and Trousers / Jacket with Matching Sash or Scarf

These garments belonged to the late Chilean artist Mariella Phillips who moved to London to...

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18th Century Overview

The silhouette of the early 18th Century is suggested here with a reproduction gown, made by Cosprop, that frames an original stomacher, one of the earliest pieces in the collection. Some fine examples of 18th Century dress, including gowns of brocaded silk, embroidered waistcoats and ornate stomachers, can be found in this section.

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19th Century Overview

This dress dates from the beginning of a century which sees the evolution of the female silhouette from high-waisted tubular dresses, through bell-shaped skirts and full sleeves, to elaborate gowns worn over cage-crinolines and bustles.

An outline of these fashion changes can be seen in the Dresses section.

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20th Century Overview

The relatively simple line of this dress marks the move away from fashions dependent upon unnatural understructures, such as the crinolines and bustles of the 19th Century, towards more practical clothing attuned to new lifestyles in which work, leisure, sport and two world wars played a significant part.

Garments in this section include costumes worn in Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes productions, which had a major impact not just upon the ballet world but also on international fashion, souvenirs from two coronations, and suits, dresses and accessories block-printed by the firms Footprints and Crysede.

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