Travel: Varaždin Municipal Museum

The Varaždin Municipal Museum was opened in the Old Town in 1925th. Today permanent Museum Exhibition preserves important historical documents, valuable collection of guilds, weapons, stone monuments, glass, ceramics and clocks.

The collections bring testimony of cultural, economic, and political life in Varaždin and its surroundings. 

Ten rooms in the castle decorated in different styles of previous periods revives the spirit and the lifestyle of previous centuries.

(Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Empire, Biedermeier, Historicism, Art deco)

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For me, the most interesting part of permanent exhibition is a new unit Culture of clothing (opened in April 2014). This unit tends to present the culture of clothing among the citizens and nobility in Varaždin in the period from 18th till the mid 20th century.

BAROQUE AND CLASSICISM

The Corset-was an important part of clothing in the period of Baroque and Rococo.
The essential accessory of the nobility and upper class was fan.

EMPIRE

The new trend introduced a simplicity in clothing and liberation of the female body from cruelty of the corsets. Garments ware made of light, sometimes transparent materials(muslin,silk,cotton) in light colors. The high waist line, up to the breasts is accentuated with a ribbon.

Brisé fan (silk, ivory, early 19th century)

BIEDERMEIER

In Biedermeier the waist line resumed a more natural lower position and was again constructed by corsets. Shoulder silhouette was accentuated with wide sleeves and décolletage returned to fashion. Most commonly used fabric were with floral, striped and plaid pattern(taffeta, atlas, damask, muslin).
Special attention was given to hairstyles and the hats were in various shapes, trying to adapt to the complicated hairstyles.

Parasols were essential accessories.

Purses and wallets were commonly made of silk and luxuriously embroidered. Most popular was floral motif with birds, namely roses as the symbol the Biedermeier style.

Illyrian bag-1840.(velvet, gold thread, beads and sequin embroidery).

HISTORICISM

The style of accentuated thin waist and broad skirts (mid 19th century) -Crinoline

The last twenty years of the 19th century were characterized by round emphasized back female silhouette called Cul de Paris and Tournure. 

Dress- Croatia, 1850 (silk taffeta, satin and rips,cotton twill)
Fan- China,19th century (varnished wood, mother of pearls, gouache on paper).

Ladies fashion magazine- La Mode Illustrée, Paris,1885.

SECESSION

Fashion at the turn of the 19th century followed the style of Historicism. The simplicity and practicality of Secession did not find its place in female fashion. The dresses,especially evening gowns, maintained lavish decoration with plenty of ruffles, lace and embroidery.

But, at the beginning of the 20th century women started to take sports which required practical dresses. Day time gowns become more simple designed, with higher waist, comfortable and functional, decorated merely with lace. Corsets were discarded.

Floral and herbal ornaments were dominant fashion motifs of Secession style, especially on lace.The luxurious fan and lace detail were made in special technique of lace making with tappers called Lepoglava or Brussels lace.

Fan-Vienna, end of 19th beginning of 20th century.

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In the museum collection there is an interesting group of of objects related to beginnings of swimming and water activities at public beaches between two world wars.

Women and children  bathing suits, swimming requisite and sunglasses- early 20th century.

Thanks to the discovery of photography in 19th century, many fashion and life trends were documented and preserved.
The photos are really valuable documents of time and I'm so obsessed with documenting every single thing I have seen and every moment I have experienced. So, pardon me. :)