Fashionable Style: the 1850s Crinoline

The ‘must-have’ style of the mid-1850s, the crinoline, was worn by every class of society, and women on the Victorian gold fields were no exception! This dress style was far from practical to wear in a tent, but it was the prevailing fashion.
The Old Treasury Building holds two dresses in this style in the collection. Entirely sewn by hand, it is estimated that there are over 5000 stitches in one of the skirts alone! Join historian Margaret Anderson to discover this dress style: what it might have been like to make, wear and care for such a dress. This will be a white glove event. You will be able to examine the dresses up close and personal!
Limited seating is available for this lecture so bookings are essential!

Presented as part of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Arts Program.