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Description: | In December of 1936, the senior school presented its first dress parade, with a commentary in French and English. Garments had traditionally been modelled by student -mannequins” (student models) for viewing at the annual exhibition of work, but this was the first time a dress parade was staged. The girl in the ballet dress was Tess, the daughter of the senior London County Council Art Inspector at the time. Dressing for Court Ever since the ruling monarch held formal courts, the women who attended them wore the most expensive clothing they could afford in order to display their social standing. Over the years, a court dress developed which was far more decorative and elaborate than the clothing worn outside the court. By the end of the mid-1920s, a thriving business had been built up by the leading West End dressmakers, fashion houses, and department stores supplying court gowns and accessories. Social etiquette deemed it desirable for women who took part in London's society events to be presented at court. Formal presentations were dropped during WWI, but were resumed in 1922. This led to extra demand for skilled workers who could design, embroider, and make the formal gowns and trains. From the late 1920s to the 1940s, just after the beginning of WWII, the prospectus for the school included a photograph of a court presentation gown made by the students, and indicated the importance given in training for making formal court wear. It was important that students be familiar with the regulations pertaining to court wear: court gowns of the inter-war period usually followed the same line as fashionable evening dress with the addition of a prescribed headdress, veil, feathers. The 1937 edition of Dress Worn at His Majesty's Court* states that "trains should not exceed 2 yards, and the veil held in place by three white feathers mounted as a Prince of Wales Plume and should be no longer than 45 inches." Although white was the preferred colour for debutantes, coloured gowns were permitted. Black was worn for mourning. Court gowns, without their trains were often reused for formal eveningwear. * Herbert A. P. Trendell, editor, 1937. Dress worn at His Majesty's court . London: Harrison & Sons. | Subjects: |  photograph uniforms childrenswear female students eveningwear court presentation gowns cloak womenswear ostrich feather fans veils floral print Prince of Wales Plumes headdress dresses fur Dressmaking/Design: fashion show flowers embroidery trains | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Photographer unknown Creator Corporate Name: Barrett Street school | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=7661... | Go to resource |
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