A Fashion Exhibition

Hello everyone , hope all is well in your part of the world.

Today’s post is definately one that comes under the” now or never “banner as it is about a fashion exhibition I saw in Paris back in November. The title of the exhibition in French was Mode et Sport D ‘un Podium A L ‘Autre (translating to Fashion and Sport from one Podium to Another) and was a look at sports related fashion with a nod to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

This was the entrance to the exhibition held at the Musee de Decorative Arts. The reference here is to the games of Ancient Greece and the image of an ideal athletic male body which was lean and muscled . The athlete was tanned, oiled and most importantly naked, liberated from all clothing restraints. ( I have taken this from the exhibit brochure).

Throughout the exhibition there were these charming posters showing clothing worn for various sporting activities.

Horse riding changed from being a utilitarian activity to a physical activity and eventually a competitive sport. When horse riding women mounted side saddle with both legs on the same side of the horse’s flank , as sitting astride was considered immodest. This practice gave rise to sartorial changes : knickers were worn under skirts to preserve modesty in case of a fall. The riding outfit above by H. Creed and Co. is a three piece riding habit (bodice, skirt, saddlebag) made from wool and cashmere , dating to 1885-1900 . The top hat is a silk velvet and the lady’s saddle is Hermes.

Please excuse the face on the skirt it was a reflection on the glass from a TV screen opposite .

A pair of dresses from the 19th. century made of cotton that would have been worn to play many sports. Can you imagine playing golf or tennis in these dresses?.

Join me for a spot of tennis- I did rather like this one.

Another 19th. century invention , the bicycle which became widespread in the early 20th. century led to the adoption of new clothing for women. I don’t have any information about this outfit but I would wear it in an instant.

The tie that featured with the cycling outfit was just fabulous.

The red outfit on the left consists of a tunic and bloomers made from wool twill dating to 1900. I have always wondered about swimming in a wool costume , it must have been so heavy when wet.

The covered up costumes of the late 1890’s and early 1900’s soon were abandoned for more comfortable and body exposing costumes. The beach pyjamas in the 1930’s  and in 1946 the bikini.

The roaring twenties and the increasing popularity of the automobile as well as early aviation heralded the introduction of specialised  equipment that needed to be both practical and elegant. As a frequent passenger in an open topped sports car I can appreciate the headwear (insect protection) as well as the thick flannel trousers.

Always a fan of both headwear and eye wear I was rather taken with this display.

During the 1920’s and 1930’s sports were all the rage and the fashion designers followed suit with styles and fabrics that allowed for more movement and comfort. Gabrielle Chanel , Jeanne Lanvin and Jean Patou were early adopters of the move to sportswear.

Sportswear meets couture as in this ensemble by Virgil Abloh , a self taught designer influenced by his youth as a skater, his architecture studies and his love of music.

This outfit was designed by Alexander McQueen for his No.13 collection and was made for and worn by Paralympian Aimee Mullins , a double amputee. It consists of a leather corset , inspired by orthopaedic wear , a lace skirt and sculpted wooden prosthetic legs that gave the illusion of Victorian boots.

I wish I could remember who designed this riding inspired outfit as it is possibly my favourite . It does have a Vivienne Westwood vibe. In the background are a few of the sportswear inspired couture designs.

I do hope you have enjoyed the exhibition through my eyes , apologies for such a long post it was a challenge to decide what not to include.