Tuesday 31 August 2010

Gorgeous Frocks at Horrockes

Last Friday my sister and I popped to London to the Fashion and Textile Museum.
Their current exhibition is dresses from Horrockses who made ready-to-wear dresses that were very popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

I am going to show a few photos that I took that day but if you can then it is worth going to the exhibition as the dresses are so lovely. But if you cannot make it then there is a little video here.

Vintage clothes are very popular at the moment and I would happily wear any of these dresses. I might say 'frock's - isn't that a lovely underused word?


A gorgeous little cocktail dress.



I like this photo as it shows the variety of bodice design.




I would love to own and wear the dark dress.

Below are some sketches for dresses and patterns.

Look at the gorgeous 1950s abstract patterns and colour pallette.






Slimmer skirts here.


On the way back to Waterloo station we passed a little street called Lower Marsh. There were two vintage clothing shops and one lovely knitting shop. This shot is me in Radio Days.
We had a lovely day and I maybe be inspired to try and incorporate some of the features into my own clothes.

But why oh why didn't my aunts, gran, nanny, mum, great aunts buy and save a lovely Horrockses dress just for little me?

UPDATE - I am adding a bit as I don't want you to make the same mistake. There is a sign that points the wrong way near the museum. DO NOT FOLLOW IT.
Now I knew this as I read it on the website beforehand (and actually printed out the bit and put it in my handbag) but ha ha ha completely forgot when it came to standing in front of the sign and then going the completely wrong way. Oh how we laughed. Well, maybe not at the time but much later we chortled and I think a couple of days later my sister had forgiven me.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh gosh, alix, aren't the dresses beautiful?! i love them too - and wish someone had saved one... or two... or loads for me too!! looks like you and sis had a lovely day out :)

Katy Clouds said...

These dresses are lovely, I especially like the green patterned sundress. I'd love to go.

Amy, the Greedy Crocodile said...

Gorgeous dresses - but if my granny had saved me one of her dresses I would never have got into it! SHe is titchy - I like to think of myself as having a modern figure = not waspy waist!

x vInTaGe VioLeT x said...

wow any of those dresses would look great now wouldn't they? if only i ever went to "occassions" that would require a coctail dress *dreams on*

toady said...

Fantastic and just think of the amount of work in their construction. As VV says if only had somewhere to go to do them justice.

Swirlyarts said...

They are all fabulous aren't they? I think I saw some Horrockes dresses in the V and A when I went there at the start of August. I too would wear any of them.

gtlady said...

How fabulous! I WANT A HORROCKS DRESS!!! You must have had a real inspirational day lucky you, and thanks for the utube link, really interesting :)