FOWLER MUSEUM LOS ANGELES : SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEAN DRESS EXHIBIT NOT TO BE MISSED

This is a great opportunity for those of you who live in Southern California or who are here to do research for your family history or are going to visit Hollywood.  FOWLER MUSEUM at UCLA is off the tourist trap route, and until July 14, 2013 they have an exhibit you'll want to see. 

This museum is always free, on the UCLA campus which you can get to by bus if you want to avoid the $11 parking fee, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon till 5, with Thursdays being open until 8 PM.

RESPLENDENT DRESS FROM SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE features clothing that girls and women spent hundreds - thousands - of hours hand sewing, embroidering, and decorating, so that they could participate in the village dances.  We think of these dances, and these clothes as "costumes," now but they did have a purpose then - Guess what?

EXCERPT :

"Bright red fringe in particular ― a feature originally evolved from the string skirts of the Paleolithic era ― stood out at dances as a symbol of fertility when worn by young women of marriageable age. Today, this dress continues to be worn on festive occasions and by older people in rural areas. In addition, folk festivals featuring dance performances ― popular with both locals and tourists ― have stimulated a revival in the wearing of regional dress. As such, dress, dance and music continue to be a mainstay of life for many."

OK, if you were walking down a street in the Old Country you could tell what ethnic group and class another person was by their dress.  Like in India today; women wear saris that identify them.

EXCERPT:

"Resplendent Dress From Southeastern Europe" features 50 stunning 19th- to 20th-century ensembles from Macedonia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Montenegro and Romania ― nearly all from the Fowler Museum's substantial collection ― plus 100 individual items, including aprons, vests, jackets and robes. To complement the outstanding examples of women's dress, the exhibition also includes several men's garments."