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Lecture "From the Skin Out: What They Were Wearing Underneath"

  • Museum of the Oregon Territory 211 Tumwater Drive Oregon City, OR, 97045 (map)

The Edwardian era was a time of innovation and industrial marvels, including in the realm of undergarments! From the formal to the "frou-frou," presenter Kay Demlow will uncover the world of Edwardian unmentionables in the final CCHS lecture of 2022.

Have you ever wondered about the underwear our ancestors wore? Whether it’s a mysterious, lacy item from the thrift store, a starched white garment in Grandmother’s trunk, or a glimpse of white lace in an early photograph, we want to know more! What wear they wearing – underneath? Where did they buy them? Did brides really have a trousseau? And how many women actually wore corsets, or had a 22” waist?

In this lively talk, Kay Demlow will share pictures, stories, and actual examples of ladies’ underthings from long ago. You’ll learn how underwear shaped women’s fashions along with their figures!

Biography

Kay Demlow is the owner, designer and dressmaker of Lavender’s Green Historic Clothing, a home-based studio in Hillsboro, Oregon. The business began with a love of the craft of fine sewing and a deep appreciation of historic preservation. Kay has created authentic reproduction clothing for historic sites, pageants, Oregon Trail wagon train travelers, media productions, theaters and living history reenactments. She creates and presents interpretive programs and fashion shows. For more information about Kay and Lavender’s Green Historic Clothing, go to www.lavendersgreen.com. Kay Demlow is active in local and national historical groups. She is a member of the Hillsboro Historical Society, the Washington County Historical Society History Roundtable, Restore Oregon, Association of Living History Farms and Agricultural Museums, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Kay is a member of the Oregon Regency Society and a co-founder of the Edwardian Society of Oregon. She not only studies and sews historic clothing; she dresses the part at historic events throughout the year.


Members suggested donation $5.00

Non-members $10.00   


Saturday, December 17, 2022

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Museum of the Oregon Territory (2nd Floor - Murdock Gallery)

211 Tumwater Dr.

Oregon City, OR, 97045