Fashion and history on display at Wentworth Home

ROLLINSFORD — A new summer exhibit at the Col. Paul Wentworth home provides a look at the way fashion has changed through the ages, from the 1800s through the 1900s.

Called “Fashionable Folks,” the exhibit centers on women and their fashion. Julia Roberts, President of the Board of Director for the historic home, said she finds it a fascinating look at a time that saw women through to their first efforts at declaring their independence and claiming their place in the world.

There are about 40 garments on display, everything from underwear to the various dress styles and shoes, depicting how they have changed over the years. The big message is how they became less restrictive as women became more active in their lives.

“Most of the clothing came from a family in the area who apparently never threw anything away, and we are thrilled for that,” said Roberts. “Through them, we were able to put together a pretty good representation.”

Even in the 1800s, Yankee frugality is easily seen in the repurposing of clothing.

“Women would choose to remake expensive fabrics,” said Roberts. “What was once a gown could become a petticoat. Trim from fancy bodices was saved and reused. Gowns were remade into something more fashionable for the times.”

Even underwear changed. Roberts said at first the underwear was intended to help shape whatever silhouette was popular at the time.

“They didn’t really wear panties,” said Roberts. “They had so many overcoats that it would have been impossible to pull anything down. Underwear was basically two legs attached to a waistband, open in the center so they could just squat. It was much later that they were sewn closed.”

When crinolines — hooped petticoats worn to make a long skirt stand out — became popular in the 1800s, so did hoop cages for skirts and bustles.

“The question most people ask is — how did they sit down,” said Roberts. “In reality, most of them were made to be collapsible. You couldn’t just stand all the time. Still, what we would do to be in fashion is pretty much anything.”

Giant puffy sleeves, big hooped skirts and corsets, all designed to make the waist look smaller, began to fade in popularity when women started showing an interest in sports, and when they began working during the war in unconventional jobs.

“It was during WWI times when women began to say, forget the corsets,” said Roberts. “They were starting to feel their freedom. They got the vote and they felt their worth.”