Summer Lectures Focuses on Fashion Through the Ages

The Madison Historical Society (MHS) will host three lectures entitled “Madison and the Evolution of Style,” beginning in May. The lectures will explore the ways that social and cultural issues influenced clothing choices. Each presentation will focus on a particular century and will feature garments, jewelry, and accessories from the period. The virtual presentations will be streamed via Zoom from the Allis-Bushnell House and will be free to Society members.

Guilford native and costume artisan Tori Timmins, a recent graduate of Rutgers University with a BFA in Costume Design and Technology, is the featured speaker for all three lectures. Timmins, who will pursue a Masters Degree in Costume Design at NYU, has visited the Allis-Bushnell House weekly since September 2020 to examine the Society’s extensive textile collection.

Timmins’s work at the MHS involves careful examination of each garment, documentation of its construction, and the precise creation of hand-drawn gridded patterns. Timmins honed her skills in the preservation of fragile textiles in 2019 during a study program at the School of Historical Dress in London, England.

Beginning on Sunday, May 23, Timmins will open the series with an exploration of the clothing of New England colonists. Known for their frugality and pragmatism, early Americans wore plain, simple clothing that reflected their Puritican beliefs and took the weather into consideration. The harsh winters of Connecticut demanded warm clothing made of strong materials. Women wore practical gowns over homemade petticoats covered by an apron. Longer dresses made of finer materials were donned for more formal occasions. Men wore linen shirts, and their pants--breeches that stopped at the knees--were paired with long woolen socks.

Fashion trends of the nineteenth century will be discussed at the second lecture on June 27. American fashion styles at this time were increasingly influenced by international styles. French designs were often popular with women, and English designs were offered for men. Women’s clothing of the early part of the century was reflective of a return to neoclassical styles whereas men wore more traditional waistcoats and fitted leggings. The Industrial Revolution, the invention of the sewing machine, and the advent of department stores brought fashion to the masses in the second half of the century.

The series will conclude on July 25 when the designs of the early twentieth century will be on display. By the early 1900s, women wore modest dresses that were heavily ornamented. Men’s fashion trends moved much slower than that of their female counterparts. Fashion, especially for women, was influenced by WWI and the fact that women joined the workforce in greater numbers.

Please visit the MHS website at www.madisonhistory.org to register. Timmins will show several examples of fashion trends from each century, highlighting garments from the Society’s vast textile collection. She will also touch upon her efforts to preserve these fragile pieces, which deteriorate with time despite archival storage efforts.