Fashion & Textiles

With its £25 price tag still attached, this 1970s men’s plaid jacket has sadly never been worn. It was unsold stock from Carley’s Menswear, a shop based in St George’s Shopping Centre until the 1990s. The owner ran a number of fashion businesses across the North West including shops Fashion Pie and Sid’s.

This is a traditional style of everyday dress worn in South Asian countries by both men and women. Shalwar are loose trousers and the kameez is a long tunic. This orange woven example with silver floral pattern and a scalloped neckline and was worn in the 80s/90s in Preston.

This pink silk Gucci skirt was worn by Dr Nicholson, a local doctor at Preston Royal Infirmary. She bought the brightly coloured floral plant pot pattern skirt while on holiday in Italy in the 1990s. She donated several other of her fashionable garments from 80s and 90s to the Harris collection.

This khaki embroidered Pathani suit is a type worn by men in Pakistan, Northern India and Kashmir. The name originates from a region known as Pakhtunistan or Pathanistan, which crosses the border between northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. This suit was purchased from Bangees Fashion in Preston and was worn by the donor’s husband on formal occasions in the 1990s. He wore it to events such as visits to the mosque and during Eid celebrations.

Fuzzy Felt was a popular toy from the 1950s for children, but Caroline from Frenchwood Knoll also used the shapes on her clothes! She added the fuzzy felts to this lovely grey dress with puff sleeves to create a floral design. This is one of over 30 examples of felt-decorated clothes made by the donor that she donated to the Harris. She also painted a self-portrait of herself wearing this felted frock!

These pink beaded shoes with a leather sole were purchased from ‘Marhaba: Magical World of Fashion’ in Deepdale Preston. This type of shoe is known as mojari or khussa, which is a style of footwear in South Asia. They were chosen by a group of local South Asian women as part of community project in 2008. They picked them because they were a good example of what a young British Asian girl would wear with skinny jeans and a kaftan.

This eye-catching pink silk evening gown with pearl beading around the neck was made by the label Susan Small. The donor bought the dress in Speights on Friargate in Preston to wear during the 1972 Preston Guild. She wore it to a party at the Bull and Royal on Church Street where she apparently stole the show! She never wore the dress again but as it was so special she decided to keep it stored above her wardrobe for 42 years.

Embroidered with an all over floral pattern in pink, blue, navy, gold and cream, this cloche hat trimmed with ribbon is from the 1920s. It was worn by the donor’s grandmother Jane Merigold when she was in her sixties. When she was young she worked in a local mill before later marrying Albert Merigold. He was a well-known car dealer, toyshop owner and sports outfitter. The Merigold Brothers also opened Preston’s first cinema – ‘The Embee’.

Worn by the donor in the 1980s, this mustard yellow long sleeve evening blouse with appliqued panels of black net and gold sequins was bought at Wynn’s on Fylde Road for around £40. The donor wore the shirt when she was in her mid thirties with a long black skirt or trousers, gold earrings and a black handbag with a gold chain. She rarely worn the blouse as she didn’t think the colour suited her but as it was expensive she decided to keep it rather than give it away at the time.