WCC gains collection from UNC-G
m
S
Jewel Sauls, Director of the Wayne County Museum,
explains details of a dress in the collection to Terry Lewis,
student in Humanities 101, whose class toured the museum
and performed yard and housekeeping clean-up.
By RIANNE DISCH
What do satin, lace,
and a thirteen inch
waist have in common?
They all describe a
collection of old
dresses that WCC has
recently received.
During the summer
through Thanksgiving,
the Wayne County Museum
of History in at the
corner of William and
Walnut Streets in
downtown Goldsboro
hosted a collection of
dresses all from the
time frame of 1845-
1950.
Sharon Bui1,
instructor in the
Business Department and
coordinator of the
Fashion Merchandising
program, organized the
exhibit with the help
of the museum director,
J ewe1 Sauls.
The exhibit,
entitled "Fossils of
Fashion," included many
of Sharon Bull's own
dresses and accessories
along with some dresses
donated to the show by
UNC- Greensboro for a
total of about 25
dresses.
To receive the
dresses from UNCG, Bull
had to .contact Dr.
Feather, the head of
the Clothing and
Textiles Department at
the University. The
current collection
owned by WCC totals to
about 40 dresses that
are stored in the
Business Department.
The entire show was
done in a time line
fashion to show viewers
how fashion changed
from era to era. Many
dresses included in the
show were wedding
dressed. These dresses
showed that, though the
white dress is quite
popular in modern
society, in the past,
dresses ranged from
brown to even plaid!
Most couples in the
last century got
married in street
clothes, formal dresses
were reserved for the
wealthy.
Although the exhibit
did include hats,
shoes, and many
undergarments, there
was no jewelry. All of
the dresses used are
stored at WCC.
Sauls explained to
Humanities students who
visited the museum that
women in the 1800’s
wanted small waists, it
was considered
beautiful to have an
"hourglass" figure.
Princess Beatrice even
went so far as to have
a few of her ribs
surgically removed to
achieve the ideal 13-
inch waist. Modern
women strive more for
the 24-inch waist. In
a time when a corsets
is a thing of the past,
women still torture
themselves with diets
and exercise to have an
hourglass figure and be
beautiful. "Beauty is
in the eye of the
beholder," says Bull.
Words to remember.
★SOrTW^JlE
Computers
This 1880's garment, typical of wedding dresses of the
period, Is adorned with an intricate lace insert on
the bodice.
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