SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE : RESPLENDENT DRESS UCLA FOWLER link
Did your grandma wear a hundred pound dress to the village dance? She may have embroidered that dress all her childhood years so that one day she could!
EXCERPT: "Resplendent Dress From Southeastern Europe: A History in Layers" ― on view at the Fowler Museum at UCLA from March 10 through July 14 ― explores the traditional garments of 12 small countries and shows the major historical and cultural influences that have shaped European rural dress.
(THE MUSEUM IS ALWAYS FREE! If you take the bus to UCLA you can forget about the $11. UCLA Parking fee!)
"In the past, girls in rural southeastern Europe spent their childhoods weaving, sewing and embroidering festive dress so that when they reached puberty, they could join the Sunday afternoon village dances garbed in resplendent attire...features 50 stunning 19th- to 20th-century ensembles from Macedonia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Montenegro and Romania ― nearly all from the Fowler Museum's substantial collection ― plus 100 individual items, including aprons, vests, jackets and robes. To complement the outstanding examples of women's dress, the exhibition also includes several men's garments. "
I'm making it a point to go to this exhibit as soon as possible. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5 PM and stays open Thursday nights till 8 PM.
