INDIANAPOLIS —Civil War-era dresses and hoop skirts. Victorian mourning gowns. Colorful miniskirts from the 1960s. A real fringed buckskin shirt. Wedding dresses from different centuries. A fashionable velvet jacket from the 1830s. Top hats. High-top button shoes. Parasols. A 1970s vest that needs only love beads to complete the image. These and more are among the things that will be at the Franklin Township Historical Society’s Vintage Clothing Show, from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday Sept. 28th at the Acton United Methodist Church, located at 5650 Senour Road near the I-74 Acton Road exit. The event is free.
Some clothing will be displayed on mannequins and dress forms; items that are especially fragile will be displayed on flat surfaces, and a few may be seen on live models.
“We’ve been thrilled with the number of historic pieces loaned to us for this show,” said organizer Alena VanArendonk. “We have items from as far back as 175 years ago to as recent as 40 years ago, and many of them are in amazingly good condition for their age.”
The show will also include explanations of how various fashions developed over the years.
The Franklin Township Historical Society (FTHS) will provide free refreshments during the event. The society’s array of publications will be available for purchase, as will FTHS memberships at $10/year.
“If any of those planning to attend the happen to own wearable vintage clothing, we encourage them to wear it to the show and let the rest of us see and enjoy it,” VanArendonk said.
For more information about the Franklin Township Historical Society, or for a map showing the location of the event, visit www.FTHS.org. Society information and updates are also available at Facebook.com/FranklinTownshipHistoricalSociety.