A Grand Day Out

Dear All,

I’d been highly recommended to see the wonderful exhibition of clothing and accessories:

HOUSE STYLE – Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth

I’m so pleased I made the trip to my favourite House in Derbyshire and experienced the most eclectic collection of clothes, arranged through the rooms in the settings they would have been worn, and capturing the mood of their day.

From Bess of Hardwick to the present Countess of Burlington, the Cavendish family has embraced fashion through the centuries. Chatsworth, as Deborah Devonshire noted, is crowded with ‘paintings, sculpture, miniatures, incunabula, books, plates, gold and silver objects, furniture, textiles, tapestries, china, pottery, drawings, objets de virtu, jewels, bronzes, antique gems, letters, firearms, diaries, estate records, carpets, prints, minerals, household necessities and oddments of all kinds, dates and descriptions……. gathered under the 1.25 acres of roof.’

What a wonderful, rich and sumptuous backdrop on which to display the most interesting, varied and stunning garments. For anyone who loves beautiful and luxurious things, this was pure heaven.

Bess was taught needle-working as a child, and was an accomplished embroiderer. There were many samples of beautiful hand embroidery, worked by the attendant ladies, and male and female members of Bess’s staff who had been taught to sew.

Another embroidery which captivated me, was the exquisite beaded daisy bolero, by Givenchy, worn by the Duchess of Devonshire on her wedding day in 1967.

I grew up in the Midlands, in a family of collectors of fine china. Therefore, I couldn’t resist these stunning Botanical plates by Bloor Derby…….. and even more, the jewelled insects beside the flowers. Deborah Devonshire was a great collector of these unique and modern jewelled insects, which she wore in her very own individual way.

Finally, here are a selection of images of clothing set in the magnificent dining room.

Allison’s Grand Sale Part III

Very suddenly, the chilly mornings and evenings have returned…….. and we know they’re here to stay!

Without doubt, toscana sheepskin mittens are the best way to keep your hands warm this winter – a great investment at £55, or a lovely gift for someone special.