Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion: A case for costume

In the conservator’s view, the benefits, in terms of the dresses’ visual appeal and ability to be displayed, would not justify the time and monetary cost required. However, it was not all bad news. The initial assessments gave me the framework to go back and apply the selection criteria. I identified seven items that could, with conservation work carried out, be credibly displayed within the new case at House of Dun, on rotation, to protect and preserve them for years to come.

The first of these was put on display over winter 2021/22 and was a late 18th-century pink silk robe a l’anglaise (a gown in the English style). This was followed, in summer 2022, by the blue hand-painted silk dress of the same style and from the same period. Both dresses required conservation work yet were in incredibly good condition considering that they were 240 years old. We knew that both were donated by Lord Forres in 1964 – a note attached to the blue dress said that it had belonged to a Janet Orr of Brigton in Angus. My research proved that Lord Forres was the three times great-grandson of Grace Gordon, who was Janet Orr and William Gordon’s daughter.

The quality and style of both dresses strongly suggests that they originated from the same source, and they were assigned consecutive accession numbers in 1964. Not only that, but the measurements of the bodice and waist are remarkably close, suggesting the normal changing of shape over time, and the length of both gowns is identical. Aware that both gowns were missing the requisite decorative petticoat to be worn on show beneath, I worked with the conservator to produce a solution. A replica quilted petticoat was designed and made to fit both gowns and hand-dyed in a shade of faded pink that would complement both dresses.

These dresses also relate to the Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion exhibition at the Georgian House in Edinburgh. Although the constructed gowns date to around 1785, just after Ramsay’s death, the blue silk dress originated as a bolt of fabric that was hand-painted with delicate flowers and butterflies, imported from China in the 1760s or 1770s.

In 2023, two Edwardian summer dresses were put on display together at House of Dun, to exemplify the era often referred to as The Long Edwardian Summer. This is an image often portrayed in contemporary novels of the period and modern-day televised interpretations, the so-called ‘golden years’ before the First World War. These dresses illustrated the lives of a leisured class, enjoying the idyllic summers of the pre-War years.

Both dresses were gifts from women whose grandmothers lived in Forfar. My research could not prove that the women knew one another, but we can conclude that the women lived a privileged middle-class life and one which did not require them to conduct manual labour. We know this because both dresses were in good condition with little evidence of repair. The conservation required was confined to the hems and lower portions of the dresses, associated with use whilst at leisure.

For the summer of 2024, we have installed a beautiful mid-Victorian dress made from silk, illustrating the fascination with plaid or tartan weaves made fashionable by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the same period. It is another example of some of the highlights of the costume collection formerly in the Angus Folk Collection. Lady Maitland’s catalogue indicates that the dress dates to around 1845–50 and was worn by Mrs Mary Muirden of Montrose. It is a day dress, which may have been worn as a wedding dress, and was donated by Mrs Muirden’s great-granddaughter.

Next summer, a grey bustle dress will be put on display. My knowledge of costume showed me that the skirt of this dress had been altered to accommodate a shorter person. I could see that the two-piece bodice and skirt dated to around 1878–83, which was what was known as the ‘natural form’ period. This was because there were three distinct types of bustle fashionable in the Victorian period; this dress was from the middle period.

In the mid-1870s, the high bustle went out of fashion. Instead, the bustle was positioned low on the rear, adding to the elongated silhouette, known during this time as the natural form. Of course, this ‘natural form’ was not exactly natural, but it more closely resembled a woman’s figure than other periods in Victorian fashion history. The bustle was relatively tame; boned undergarments helped create this low push of fabric from the waistline. The bodice was cut to form and elongated to the hips. The skirt fitted tightly to the knee before the train extended outward from it. It was not quite a hobble skirt, but it was difficult to walk with limited movement in the skirt to the knees. This dress had been shortened at some time, and the train at the back had been cut away and the remnant of it stitched up inside the skirt.

In order to be able to offer visitors something different in the case for costume each year, we depend upon having not only good examples of costume, but also the conservation grade mannequins to support the delicate costume. Mannequins help us to interpret costume in a more dynamic way to suggest movement. However, conservation and mannequins are expensive so sometimes we need to borrow textiles that have already been conserved from other properties.

For 2027 and 2028, we hope to borrow the magnificent mid-18th-century silk apron that has been so beautifully stored at Newhailes. A unique and rare survivor, this was a fashionable accessory worn over a day dress. The naturalistic flowers and leaves on this apron are embroidered in fine coloured silk and an abundance of gilt threads. They are stitched over a pale silk ground and are botanically precise, in a typical style found in Britain during the early 1700s. The apron is finely pleated onto a band, which extends into two ribbons for tying around the waist.

The apron was a purely decorative item, designed to evoke a lady’s wealth and sophistication. The embroidery on this example is exquisite, clearly made by an exceptional artisan. The flowers and leaves are worked with directional long and short stitching, satin stitch and chain stitch, to create varied shading. This complex design imparts flow and movement, so the flowers ripple across the silk as the wearer moves.

Newhailes also enjoys the custodianship of several pairs of 18th-century shoes, which we hope to borrow the year after, if their condition allows.

Curators must start the conversations with conservators well in advance of the borrowing date. This is to ensure that textiles are stable and can be put on display for a period of time without subjecting them to undue stress. This is a truly collaborative project.

Read more blogs in the Ramsay & Edinburgh Fashion series

We are very grateful to The Cedar Fund for their support in conserving costume at House of Dun.