Clothes make the woman

Blithewold curators bring the mansion’s women to life through their fashions

By Lynda Rego
Posted 4/27/18

Designer Marc Jacobs said, “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.” And, at Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum on Ferry Road, the guardians of the clothing of the Van …

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Clothes make the woman

Blithewold curators bring the mansion’s women to life through their fashions

Posted

Designer Marc Jacobs said, “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.” And, at Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum on Ferry Road, the guardians of the clothing of the Van Wickle/McKee family make the women come alive by using personal details from their letters and diaries, their place in society, and the fashions of the period.
Visitors flock to the seaside estate to admire the unique trees and shrubs, extensive gardens, water features, bamboo grove and greenhouse. But, who were the people who created such a beautiful summer place? A tour of the mansion and its elegant contents can answer that question.
Curator Margaret Whitehead of Barrington and Gioia Browne of Little Compton, head of the costume collection, inherited an entire third floor of those papers and much more, including paintings, books, linens, tapestries, shawls, hats, fans, gloves, shoes and outfits used for costume parties.
Over the years, with the help of volunteers and employees, the “collection” has been catalogued with the Past Perfect computer program, photographed, studied, evaluated and conserved (although, this part is ongoing, given the expense involved). Ms. Whitehead said it’s one of the finest costume collections in the state.
Bessie Van Wickle McKee was a fashionista and enjoyed up-to-the-minute fashions from Fox of Paris and New York. She was always impeccably attired, including in lovely dresses and big hats, even to go sailing, Ms. Whitehead said.
Her daughter, Marjorie, was more interested in gardening and spending time outdoors; but, both of their dresses are so elegant and elaborate by today’s standards, with silks, chiffons, pleated ruffles, underskirts, embroidery, lace, sequins, beading and trains — until you get to the 1920s, when corsets were abandoned and fashion became somewhat simpler.
Lingerie dresses on display
A new exhibit at the mansion, “In the Garden,” shows three of the more than 100 dresses in the costume collection, which ranges from 1882 to the 1930s. Marjorie gave some of her mother’s dresses to the Colonial Dames in Massachusetts. For years, Blithewold borrowed them for exhibits; but, once the third floor had a climate controlled textile room, the Dames generously returned the dresses to Blithewold.
The 1905 “lingerie dress” in the exhibit is my favorite. Ms. Whitehead said they were called lingerie dresses because of the lightweight fabrics and linings or slips of pale silk, similar to undergarments. But, it’s just a vision of cotton lawn with white-on-white floral embroidery, tatting with cutout patterns, a peach ribbon around the waist and a small train. And, astonishingly, Marjorie would have worn it in the gardens, to play tennis or go sailing.
“Summer was the season when relatives and friends came to Blithewold for garden parties, luncheons, walks on the estate, sailing and picnics,” Ms. Whitehead said.
The other two dresses are a c.1920 ecru lingerie dress lined with peach silk and decorated with beading, eyelet, rosettes and netting; and a c.1915 two-piece, floral silk chiffon creation with loose panniers at the hips, similar to 17th- and 18th-century court dresses.
Conservation is under way
The conservation project was begun with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Each costume is evaluated by experts, with an estimate for its conservation by ConText Inc. in Rochester, Mass. Conservation can range from $750 to as much as $10,000 for one dress because some contain so many layers and different types of fabrics.
“We restore these through the generosity of donors,” Ms. Browne said. And, donations are important because Blithewold will only exhibit costumes once they are conserved.
During conservation, the volunteers and staff back at Blithewold, pore through letters, diaries, photographs and other memorabilia, seeking information on an outfit, who wore it, what it was worn for, and how to care for it so it will last for future generations to enjoy.
The not-easily-read letters and diaries have been painstakingly transcribed by volunteers, a truly herculean task when you see some of the penmanship.
Collections manager Linda Blade of Warren uses the Past Perfect computer program to track every bit of Blithewold from every ribbon to every teacup in the kitchen pantry — and there are a lot of teacups!
The staff also talk to descendants of family members, who remember visiting Blithewold and can add to the picture of what life was like during those idyllic summer days.
“We value our reputation for authenticity,” Ms. Whitehead said.
Detective work is involved
Interesting pieces have had dual uses, requiring some detective work on the part of Ms. Whitehead and Ms. Browne. In a photo from the 1940s, Marjorie is wearing one of Bessie’s suits from the 1880s, but it had a new top. They concluded that Marjory wanted to wear the suit; but it needed a new blouse because she had a larger frame than her mother. But, the blouse features the trim from the bodice of the original suit.
And, they discovered that a designer gown had been cut down to make a princess dress for Augustine.
“They tell their own tale – eventually,” Ms. Whitehead said of the costumes.
The staff also researches what types of undergarments were worn with each outfit, so the dresses hang on the mannequins correctly.
Unfortunately, some of the costumes are too fragile for conservation; but, even those can be used for research as to fabric type, style and seam construction.
If you go …
The “In the Garden” exhibit in the second-floor corridor outside Marjorie’s bedroom is on display through October. Along with the three dresses are original Audubon prints, birding books and binoculars, bird nests and a gorgeous outdoorsy arrangement. (See the tiny bird among the ferns).
And, check out the blue vase on the table next to the white lingerie dress. It’s the same vase in the painting by Marjorie hanging on the wall next to the dress.
And, don’t miss the black and gold 1920 evening gown tucked into a corner of the billiard room on the first floor, along with a fascinating home movie from 1927 of the large family get-together for the Fourth of July, which includes footage of the Bristol Fourth of July Parade.
To get a peek at the third-floor archive, which isn’t usually open to the public, take one of the tours offered. The next is on Thursday, May 3, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The focus of this tour is the costume collection. You can register online as space is limited. Tours are open to Blithewold members only.
The website also hosts a section on the collections with photos of some of the items. From the homepage at www.blithewold.org, click on Collections under the “About” pulldown menu. Then scroll down to “Click here to explore a curated assortment of items in our Collection.”
The current mansion (the original burned down in a fire in 1906) was only ever owned by women, Bessie, and then daughters Marjorie and Augustine. So, a tour of these lovely dresses and accessories really does provide a view of these women and their time.

Blithewold, dresses, clothes

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