Fabulous Fashion Exhibit at The Pasadena Museum of History

By May S. Ruiz

A Beach Boys song famously claims “the little old lady from Pasadena drives real fast and real hard … and is the terror of Colorado Blvd.” But as the Fabulous Fashion Exhibit, currently going at the Pasadena Museum of History (PMH), beautifully depicts, she is also a woman of impeccable sartorial taste.
The Fabulous Fashion Exhibit features clothes and accessories worn by Pasadena’s well-dressed women from the 1890s, the 1920s and the 1950s. As the show organizers describe them, these three decades were known (respectively) as times of wealth and luxury, flamboyance and decadence, and prosperity and consumerism.

As Dr. Elizabeth Smalley, PMH trustee and Collections Committee Chair, explains “The three decades being represented in our Fabulous Fashion Exhibit were chosen because they each had distinct characteristics which showed the arc of women’s fashion choices as their roles in life have evolved. In the 1890s women had to have 24 outfits to get through their day because each activity required a change of clothes – they had to dress to make a call, to receive a caller, to go to tea or the theatre or the opera, or to go to dinner.”
The Gay Nineties couture mirrored the extravagance of the Gilded Age when the affluent society enjoyed lavish lifestyles. Women changed their outfits as they went about their various pursuits – from a morning gown for breakfast, to a tailored walking costume during the day, to an elaborate ball gown for evening. Several yards of fabric were required to make these apparels that oftentimes weighed a hefty 37 pounds.
Clothes in the 1890s were accessorized with delicate, intricately constructed objects. Women carried parasols to protect their complexions from the sun. They waved their ostrich-feathered fans as much to revive them from the vapors as to communicate their interest in a gentleman. They always wore gloves, hats, and stockings on public occasions; large, bejeweled hair combs or tiaras complemented their ball gowns; small bags held money, opera glasses and a fan.
“Then the 1920s ushered in the age of independence for women when they earned the right to vote,” Dr. Smalley says. “They eschewed the social constraints of the past, some of them joined the workplace, and their clothes reflected that looseness and freedom.”
The Roaring Twenties were a time of exuberance when women dressed comfortably, bobbed their hair and wore make up. They were celebrating their emancipation from the chores that shackled them to their homes – they took on jobs alongside the men. Coco Chanel defined the look that characterized this era – sporty, boyish and youthful. Side swags, floating panels and drapes, asymmetrical hemlines, intricate hand-beading, and Art Deco designs were all the rage.
Accessories in the 1920s featured exotic materials and rich pattern. Daytime wear included a leather clutch with matching shoes; evening attires came with a small velvet purse or beaded bag that held lipstick, a few coins, a handkerchief and a house key. Women wore long strands of beads and pearls to break up the bodice line and accentuate the dropped waistline. They ornamented their hair with a cloche hat, or a glittering hair clip at night. Rhinestone-embellished shoes became the focal point of women’s dressing as hemlines rose higher.

Purple silk crepe chiffon Jean Patou evening gown, with matching silk velvet evening coat, 1920s
(Loaned by Susan McManigal/French Hand Laundry). – Photo by Aaron Gil

When the 1950s came around, men returned from the war and women reverted to their previous role as homemakers. According to Dr. Smalley, “women became conformists once again and their clothes looked more structured. It’s quite fascinating to see the changes in their roles and how their apparel reflected those.”

Fur capes and shrugs, 1950s (Courtesy of Pasadena Museum of History). – Photo by Aaron Gil.

The Rockin’ Fifties, as the exhibit refers to the Eisenhower years, were ruled by conformity and conservatism once more. The ultra-feminine style became fashionable again as women revived their duty as the perfect wife. Christian Dior reimagined the hourglass silhouette with a well-fitted bodice, a wasp waist, and a capacious skirt. As in the 1890s, confining undergarments were essential to this “New Look”. The slimmer, looser sheath dress became the trend later in the decade but still relied on hidden reinforcements of corsetry, girdles, and garters. At the same time, women had to be pencil-thin, corseted, coiffured and perfectly accessorized.
During the 1950s, outfits were flawlessly matched and synchronized: gloves, stockings, coordinating hat, shoes and handbag were de rigueur. Women wore jewelry – costume or real – to complete their look. Stylish women wore rhinestone brooches pinned to their suit collar or dress and they carried large purses made of crocodile, snake, lucite, or bamboo.
Each show presented by PMH goes through a complicated and lengthy process. Jeannette Bovard, PMH media consultant, asserts “We brainstorm about what’s interesting, what’s relevant, and what’s coming up. Pasadena isn’t a bubble – world events affect us and we sort of affect world events. It is a small town with national significance as evidenced by all our exhibits. ”
“For example, our past display was about the Civil War,” Ms. Bovard elucidates further. “PMH, as well as several other cultural institutions, mounted events celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary. Along this vein, our Fabulous Fashion Exhibit showcases fashion trends in Pasadena that followed the rest of the country.”
Many women in Pasadena held important roles as wives of prominent industrialists, businessmen, and politicians during the periods covered by the exhibit. These ladies alongside their husbands, put on important events as befitted their standing in the community.
Dr. Smalley illustrates, “One of the clothes being featured is a cocktail dress that belonged to Leonora Paloheimo, granddaughter of Eva Fenyes (who, with her husband, Adalbert, built the Fenyes Mansion that houses the Pasadena Museum of History). Leonora was the wife of the Finnish Consul, Yrjo Paloheimo, so she would have worn this to parties and benefits, or to events she hosted.”
Besides showing the public its wonderful collection of clothing and objects is a far broader reason for holding this exhibit. As Ms. Bovard pronounces, “Everything that happens in the nation has somehow come through and been processed through Pasadena. And when we display what women wore during the three decades we are focusing on, we want to show that while these were worn by the ladies in Pasadena, these clothes did not originate here – they may have come from New York or Paris. We were fashionable … we still are.”
Except for a 1950s shirt dress, which organizers had to purchase expressly for this event, all clothes and accessories in the Fabulous Fashion Exhibit are the property of PMH. They have been donated through the years by various benefactors and the Collection Committee ensures that each piece of clothing has a Pasadena provenance. One of the items being highlighted in the show is a breathtaking purple evening dress created by notable French designer and perfumer, Jean Patou. It is on loan from long-time local resident Susan McManigal, whose family owns the French Hand Laundry and Dry Cleaning on South Lake.
PMH joins a select group of cultural centers in Pasadena – it is a multifaceted entity that catalogs, documents and preserves vast holdings of different artifacts and objects. It then shares them with the public to educate, entertain, and connect to important events of universal significance.
The Fabulous Fashion Exhibit is one way to showcase the treasures the city has to offer while informing people about Pasadena Museum of History’s function. As to the little lady from Pasadena …. Well, surely everyone knows by now what she really is – très chic!

Kitchen accessories on display next to day dresses in Fabulous Fashion at Pasadena Museum of History. – Photo by Aaron Gil

More from Arts