[August 27, 2013]
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In the mid-1800s, women of
social standing were faced with the challenges of traveling by horse
and buggy to events that sometimes began at midday and ran into the
night. Women might travel several miles in a small buggy with
their spouses to spend an afternoon at tea with friends. Then
as the evening approached, a gala event would be planned that
required more formal attire.
Because space was limited,
they couldn't always carry a wide variety of gowns with them, so
they learned to fashion their clothing so that the addition,
subtraction or switching of a few key pieces would turn dress day
wear into formal evening wear.
Sunday morning Dorothy
Sellinger and Linda Cox, known locally as the Costume Ladies, gave a
presentation of how women in the 1860s made the desired
transformation from day to evening. In the course of their
talk, Cox assisted Sellinger in getting dressed, first for an
afternoon tea, then for an evening ball.
Pictures by Nila Smith |