Miss Fisher Costume Exhibition

Today I went with some lovely friends down to Old Government House in Parramatta, to see the exhibition of costumes from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

I have to be honest and admit that I have seen very little of the show, and I haven't read the books. I have, however, seen pictures of a lot of the hats and costumes, and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to see them up close.

I knew there would be some good hats, but the first room was FULL OF HATS!

It was fascinating to look at them all together. So many cloches, with many of them having the same basic shape, but such incredible variation from the choice of materials and trims.

Many of the hats (and dresses) were newly made but used vintage fabrics and trims, such as this straw hat with a genuine 1920s embroidered motif.

This blue velvet hat with tassel was an original 1920s hat (I think the only one). So simple, but so elegant.

The same design appeared later in green. I assume they made a copy to match a different outfit, in this case a driving coat.

This was a "Hey I know you from Pinterest" hat for me. Such a simple shape, with such well-thought-out trims that create such a stunning effect. It was great to see it in person and close up.

This cream cloche features vintage bronze trims. This is a colour combination I wouldn't have thought of, but that works so beautifully that I might have to get some cream felt!

I just love this bathing suit and beach wrap. It's just the level of coverage I like for the beach myself! And the belt is such a lovely detail. This was new but made from an original 1920s pattern. The hat was revamped with the raffia embroidery.

I think a pair of elegant pyjamas or a lounging outfit is something I have needed in my life for a while. And I adore apricot and black together. Nevertheless, I managed not to steal them.

One of the extra-lovely features of this exhibition was the way the displays were put together to complement the setting and to create a sense of place. The building and its furniture are beautiful already, but I was expecting just some rooms with dressed mannequins in them. Instead they were arranged into groups, sometimes by theme, and placed among the objects in each room in a way that brought it all together. The clothes became part of a scene.

You can't go wrong with a Christmas room. I think I may need a cute ski outfit like this before I can be convinced to go skiing again. Or just a nice outfit to sit around sipping hot chocolate in.

Naturally I took more photos, but I think that's quite enough of them! The exhibition is open until June, if you are in the Sydney area (or almost, like me).