Dressing Up - Celebrating Canada's New Years Through the Decades

Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada

This was a temporary, pop-up exhibit that is no longer showing. The exhibit was, however, a good representation of the type of pop-up shows the Costume Museum of Canada stages. See their website or Facebook page for any current or upcoming shows.

The earliest recorded New Year’s celebrations date back over 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. Since then, traditions to welcome the new year and bring good luck and good fortune in the year ahead have varied over time and by country. Elegant formal parties came into vogue in the late 1800s and are still in fashion today. Although the tradition remains, the style of those fancy dresses and tuxedos has changed over the years.

This fall the Costume Museum of Canada staged a pop-up exhibition in Winnipeg, Manitoba called The Eve of Elegance highlighting the styles of fancy dress in Canada over the decades and I had the chance to see the style changes over the years.

Woman’s turquoise silk brocade opera gown from 1850. Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada. — *Woman’s turquoise silk brocade opera gown from 1850*

Chinese red silk brocade gown from 1959. Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada. — *Chinese red silk brocade gown from 1959*

Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada. Formal attire from the period of 1897 to 1910. — *Formal attire from the period of 1897 to 1910*

Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada — *Boots were once the standard footwear*

Boots as standard footwear for ladies went out of style during World War I. Hemlines were higher so they could walk the streets to work. This created a gap between the top of the boot and the hem of the dress. Shoes came into vogue.

Styles from the roaring 1920s. Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada — *Styles from the roaring 1920s*

The “flapper” look came into fashion in the second half of the 1920s. By then corsets were out of style and chests were bound.

A 1926 mauve/grey beaded georgette French gown alongside a mauve/grey silk taffeta cocktail dress and mink stole from the 1950s. Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada. — *A 1926 mauve/grey beaded georgette French gown alongside a mauve/grey silk taffeta cocktail dress and mink stole from the 1950s*

Paco Rabanne 1968 silver metal mini dress. Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada. — *This Paco Rabanne 1968 silver metal mini dress does not look very comfortable*

Arnold Scassi red satin strapless gown from the 1980s. Dressing Up: Celebrating Canada's New Years Through The Decades. Highlights from the Eve of Elegance Exhibit by the Costume Museum of Canada. — *Arnold Scassi red satin strapless gown from the 1980s*

The Costume Museum of Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba seeks to preserve and exhibit the costumes worn by the people of Canada over the decades. It has over 35,000 artifacts in its collection. With no permanent gallery space, it makes its collection available to the public through pop-up exhibits, heritage fashion revues, and educational programs. For more information about the museum read my post Fashion History At The Costume Museum Of Canada.