Book Review: Life In Hull From Then Till Now by Kay Pearson: A Fascinating Look Back on a Hull Women’s Life.

Kay Pearson loved music throughout her life, playing piano in music halls, theatre, dance halls and people’s homes. Her book was published in 1978 after a feature about her life in the Hull Daily Mail. She was asked to finish the book, people as tickled by her story as...

Oral History: Witness2Fashion’s Memory Of Using Treadle Sewing Machines

Recently we’ve been chatting to the person behind the fantastic blog Witness2Fashion  about all things ‘treadle sewing machine.’  Based in California you might expect a difference between the UK / Hull Yorkshire but I was struck by how similar they were. Treadles have the same charm wherever you were in...

Hull Fashion History: What Was Great About 1978!

The 1970s was a decade of fashion extremes….   Floaty fashions of the post-hippy culture mixed with stomping platforms and glam rock but by 1978 when the House of Mirelle closed every inspiration was up for grabs. Fashion design was diverse, streetwise and truly international. By mid 1978 tailoring,...

Fashion History: Mr Mintz of Linda Leigh Designs For The Fuller Figure

How curvy ladies were designed for in Fashion History …. The commentator of this British Pathe film points out that it’s nice to see women who aren’t entirely sylph like on the catwalk. 1950s Fashion You would be forgiven for thinking that fashion of the 1950s was all about...

Hull History: May 1975 Princess Anne’s Modern Wedding Dress Designed By Maureen Baker Comes To Hull

Everyone loves a royal wedding but did you know Princess Anne’s has a special connection to Hull….. The wedding of Princess Anne to Captain Mark Phillips  The marriage of Princess Anne on 14th November 1973 to Captain Mark Phillips was an occasion celebrated by the entire nation. Norman Hartnell ...

Hull Social History: 3 Day Millionaires DVD by Dr Alec Gill and the Cod Wars

“My Dad was a skipper on the trawlers and if he’d had a good catch, he’d take Mum out and spend the money on her,” said Lynn. “Oh! A 3 Day Millionaire,” I said. “A what?” came the reply. “3 Day Millionaire,” I said. When there was no response...

Hull Fashion History 1968 to 1969: The Headscarf Protest, Fashion Inertia and The Years Of Change

The Headscarf Revolutionaries by Brian Lavery had been on the must-read list since the early days researching the House of Mirelle. From information about Hull’s Headscarf Protest I turned to the history of the fishing industry and the Cod Wars. Lavery’s book sketched in the details in a work of...

Fashion History: The Orphaned Singer Sewing Machine, Sewing Workrooms and The Culture Of Sewing Book

This week Harvard’s online Magazine published an article about a treadle sewing machine. The title was An Orphaned Sewing Machine and it was written by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. The link’s there if you’d like to read it. Ulrich and her colleague Ivan Gaskell were given an old Singer treadle sewing...

Mirelle Clothing Collection: The House of Mirelle, Doree Leventhal and Robita Couture

This month has seen a couple of additions to the House of Mirelle collection. Both are eye catching, stunning examples of vintage fashion at its very best! The first is a gorgeous midnight blue dress which revealed the most surprising addition: a boned corset / bustier built into the...

Hull Fashion History: Perth Australia House Of Mirelle 1950s Wedding Dress

Watch our video on YouTube Do you recognise this wedding dress? Throughout the 1950s Hull newspapers ran adverts selling tickets to emigrate to Australia; the cost of the ticket to this brand new life was £10.00. Australia believed it needed to increase its population to prevent the risk of...

Hull Fashion History: The Art Of Illustration – 100 Years of Fashion Advertising 1859 – 1960

This advert for Edwin Davis in the Hull Packet newspaper of summer 1859 is barely recognisable in comparison with fashion advertising we know today. In today’s world, glossy magazines and TV adverts are part of a global industry with an estimated worth of over 3 trillon dollars. In this high...

Hull Fashion History: Wedding Dress Fashions Of The 50s, 1951, 1955 and 1960.

Wedding dress styles change more slowly than everyday fashion. These three outfits show that style responded dramatically to social changes between the beginning of the 50s and the end. The first, from an article in the Hull Daily Mail of 1951, reintroduces the idea of a long white wedding dress...

When Cherry Marshall Met Seignon: Making A Model and The Face Of Susan Small.

British Pathe 1954. Seignon is the first model to walk.  Irene Pearson wouldn’t have become Cherry Marshall if it hadn’t been for Seignon – it took a chance meeting in 1946 to seal the deal. Long before a marriage to writer Emanuel Litvinoff – or Manny – gave her...

Hull History: Jackson’s Tailors In Whitefriargate Hull – Dressmaking Pins For A Farthing Change

An Hullensian called Alison had an interesting snippet of information. She said: “I don’t know if this is relevant but my Mum said if you bought something from a fashion house or haberdashers and your change was a farthing or a ha’penny, the assistant would ask you if you...

Curious About Your House of Mirelle or Elka Couture Item? Susan Capes From Hull Museums Answers Your Questions

Hull Museums are situated in the grand old sector of the British city near to the River Hull.  The group of buildings house collections focusing on the rich and long cultural history of the once medieval city. In the Hull Museums catalogue, avid fashion researchers find it includes an Elka Couture dress....

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