On display at Fashion Museum in Bath (UK) until January 2019,  A History of Fashion in 100 Objects celebrates fashion from the 1600s to the present day. Address contributor Pat Francis visited the exhibition and eventually responded to it using 100 words. 

Yellow and gold woven silk robe à la française, 1760s. Source: Fashion Museum, Bath

What is a fashion object:  to be seen and touched, or subject of thought, or object of derision? In these 100 stars of the Fashion Museum’s collection, all aspects of ‘objects’ are evident:  ridiculous, inspiring, shocking and clearly contextualised. The events of history, politics, war, mechanisation, liberation (whether materials or convention) – all are shown. Interspersed are 10 collections of shoes/boots that accessorise our social perambulations and 10 children’s pieces which reveal the growing up of fashion or the infantilisation of women. But in the end, does fashion ever grow up or liberate? The rules are as demanding now as they always were; the processes never free the workers or the consumers. Huge questions remain – the repulsive, whole pheasant on a hat which led to Queen Alexandra leading a campaign against the over-use of exotic bird feathers which was causing the extinction of species, to the excessive plastic in the 2014 piece of Pugh. Issues of labour and thoughtless consumption: horrendous factory conditions throughout the world cannot be ignored. Although the title might seem to limit this telling of history (only 100 objects for the 500 years covered) – in fact it does the reverse. It opens up debate and intrigue – what is missing, who is missing;  how do we look back and do we look forward?

Man’s cream silk satin embroidered coat and pink silk breeches, 1780s, Source: Fashion Museum, Bath

What is an object?

I could object to some of the collection (and do), and the main purpose of my activity – the object of my intention in writing about it, is to provoke, intrigue and baffle…

Blue wool and silk boy’s frock, 1850s. Source: Fashion Museum, Bath

Four columns represent

descriptive or reflective response/object/information/date

Lemon yellow rayon jersey dress with row of domed buttons. Jean Muir, 1974. Source: Fashion Museum, Bath

A Hundred History Harpings

1. overblown, nightgown, voluminous, 1600s
2. informal, sleeveless, waistcoat, unconventional, 1610s
3. embroidered, nightcap, functional, 1610s
4. three-piece, waistcoat, practical, 1690s
5. pretty, petticoat, worn to be seen, 1690s
6. quality, waistcoat, seems 2-Dimensional, 1700s
7. revealing, open robe, brocade, 1730s
8. reserved, closed robe, draw loom, 1740s
9. shapely, man’s waistcoat, flat planels, 1740s
10. quilted, petticoat, warm, 1740s
11. pinned, stomacher, bold, 1740s
12. faceless, man’s suit, traditional, 1750s
13. hooped, open robe, movement, 1760s
14. warming, cape mantle, swinging, 1760s
15. loose, robe a la francaise, sacque, 1760s
16. anonymous, man’s suit, suit, 1770s
17. chintzy, banyan, artists/writers, 1750s
18. fabulous, robe a la francaise, sack back, 1770s
19. excessive, robe a la anglaise, en fourreau, 1770s
20. pocketed, sack back dress, pocket hoops, 1770s
21. pale-tight, man’s suit, macaroni, 1780s
22. intolerable, stays, ‘ton – pride feels no pain’, 1780s
23. puffed, closed gown, bouffon, 1780s
24. labouring, man’s frock coat, Rousseau: back to nature, 1790s
25. printed, gown, industrialisation, 1790s
26. muslin, gown, pat tea motif, 1800
27. neo-classical, gown, chemise de la reine, 1800
28. woollen, gown, two-piece, 1815
29. spotty, frock, frock not gown, 1816
30. gauze, frock, Madras lace, 1817
31. merino, man’s trousers, pantaloons, 1820s
32. scalloped, cotton dress, hand to machine embroidery, 1824
33. tea-ground, printed dress, roller printed, pale brown, 1825
34. puffed, silk dress, leg of mutton gigot, 1835
35. exquisite, white work collar, Ayrshire, 1830s
36. dandy-less, man’s suit, end of dandyism, 1830s
37. white, wedding dress, link to Queen Victoria, 1840s
38. modest, bonnet, straw, but fabric covered, 1840s
39. geometric, dress, huge pompoms, 1840s
40. flouncy, dress, woven a la disposition, 1850s
41. precise, top hat, Beaver fur, 18150s
42. paisley, shawl, jacquard, 1850s
43. delicate , dress, crinole, intricate, 1860s
44. lacy, dress, Bucks Point lace, 1865
45. hybrid, Dolman, part coat/cape pashmina, 1870s
46. décolletage, evening dress, polonaise, 1870
47. ruled, day dress, etiquette, 1874
48. craped, mourning dress, rules and requirements, 1880s
49. bustled, bustle dress, in and out of fashion, 1886
50. aesthetic, dressing gown, Aesthetic movement, 1880s
51. japonisme, fan, oriental influence, 1890s
52. adornment, accessories, adorned to extinction, 1800s
53. constructed, day dress, Worth, 1890
54. for-best, corset, show, 1890s
55. liberating, riding habit, New Woman, 1890s
56. trained, court gown, Welborn of Regent Street, 1900
57. tailored, jacket, precise tailor-made, 1905
58. dustered, chauffeur’s coat, Alfred Dunhill Ltd, 1900s
59. pheasanted, hat with whole bird, Queen Alexandra against, 1911
60. symbolic, parasol, belonged to suffragette, 1912
61. Titanic, wedding dress, Lucile – Lady Duff Gordon, 1908
62. utilitarian, nurse’s apron, timeless, 1914
63. ankled, coat and skirt, Dickens & Jones 1^st ankle, 1916
64. fiery, fancy dress, flames of hell, 1927
65. beadjangled, beaded dress, Paquin, 1927
66. chiche, cloche hat, chic and fitted, 1928
67. absurd, beach pyjamas, silky, 1929
68. cross grained, evening gown, Donguy, 1930s
69. suave, man’s evening dress, tuxedo, 1930s
70. ostentatious, fur coat, Molyneux mink, 1930s
71. synthetic, wedding dress, new material, 1940
72. celebratory, party dress, bolero for VE party, 1945
73. rational, Utility suit, regulated, 1947
74. flamboyant, New Look suit, Dior, 1947
75. starry, jacket, Lelong for Vivien Leigh, 1948
76. idealised, fashion doll, Miss Virginia Lachasse, 1954
77. exposed, dancing dress, halter neck, 1954
78. home made, crochet blouse, Coats pattern, 1950s
79. flirty, nylon petticoat, lingerie, 1950s
80. noisy, beaded dress, Hartnell/Elizabeth Taylor, 1958
81. naughty, knickerbocker dress, youthquake Mary Quant, 1961
82. arty, Mondrian dress, YSL for Fonteyn, 1965
83. dapper, man’s suit, Blades/Fish for Roy Strong, 1968
84. inappropriate, beach wear, acrylic crochet, 1969
85. classic, dress, Jean Muir rayon jersey, 1974
86. bifurcated, trouser suit, Missoni, 1970s
87. celebrity, ballgown, The Emmanuels, 1982
88. ubiquitous, jeans, Fiorucci, 1983
89. bombshell, man’s coat, Blitz Willie Brown, 1980
90. leggy, man’s jacket & shorts, JPG, 1991
91. patriotic, evening dress, Lauren, 1991
92. must-have, newsprint gloves, Galliano, 2000
93. shorted, man’s suit/shorts, Thom Browne, 2006
94. bodycon, Galaxy dress, Mouret, 2015
95. hyper-fruity, head piece, Piers Atkinson’s cherries, 2015
96. confectionery, evening dress, Sarah Burton for McQueen, 2011
97. retro, embroidered dress, Raf Simons, 2012
98. taped, Applique dress, Christopher Kane, 2013
99. shrink wrapped, plastic ensemble, Gareth Pugh, 2014
100. ungendered, quilted ensembles, Craig Green, 2015

Iridescent layered plastic ensemble, Gareth Pugh. Source: Fashion Museum, Bath