At Market Lavington Museum we have a collection of clothes from yesteryear and change the costumes on our dummies every year. In 2019, we had a display called ‘Dressed for Best’ with a selection of late Victorian and 1920s ladies’ clothes.

Sitting at the end of the settle, was a dummy wearing a long, black crushed velvet dress. It was donated by a lady on White Street in Market Lavington and dated to the 1920s or 1930s. It was showing signs of its age, particularly in the elaborate lace around the neck, but it was still able to represent the fashions of its era to our visitors.

We will meet this garment again, as we remove it from display and carefully store it away.