An excellent example of Australian ladies fashion of the time.Exceptional two piece dress with fitted and boned bodice and bustle skirt and train. Bodice features many panels and internal whaleboning with cotton lining. Waist tape to secure. Pointed waistband to the exterior, trimmed in panels of velvet and lace inserts. Pleated sleeves and high, stand up collar with white cotton insert. Row of metal hooks and eyes to secure at the centre front, covered with a row of small metal and enamel buttons with butterfly design (all present) and hand finished button holes. Another row of hooks and eyes over the top. Skirt is full with the gathers focused on the centre back with a row of cartridge pleats and metal hooks and eyes to secure at the waist. Row of cotton tape sits under the hips to be gathered into the desired fullness. Ornamental panels of velvet provide a faux wrap styling to the front. Underskirt of silk faille with a box pleated trim to the hem. Underneath is a third hem finished in a row of white cambric and lace trim. Train falls from the waist and displays the same hem treatments as the dress. The dress has been mostly machine sewn but with large amounts of hand sewn finishing.none

Evening or opera coat with princess line seams and shawl collar. Leg o' mutton sleeves, full length flared skirt of six panels and secured with one self covered button and bound buttonhole at the waist. Fully lined in cream coloured silk taffeta. Fabric is printed in gold with flowers, vines and butterflies with hand silk screened roses and forget-me-not flowers over the topNone

Sleeveless evening gown of delicate lace with a drop waist, scalloped detailing and slightly flared skirt. Fastens through a side opening of press studs. Photographed with a petticoat underneath due to the sheerness of the fabric.None

Dressy day ensemble set - Fitted dress with short sleeves and straight skirt Centre back metal zipper Band of cream guipure lace above the waistline Fitted cropped jacket with shawl collar trimmed in matching lace Three quarter length sleeves to the jacket Pipping trim to most edges Both pieces are fully linedLabelled "Duval of Melbourne Pure Silk"

BLACK CAPE BELONGING TO MRS. CATHERINE KELLY - FROM CARGERIE AND SKYE - SCOTLAND. GRANDMOTHER OF MRS. KIT SWANTON OF BALLARAT.BLACK VELVET BEADED CAPE - SILK LINED, SILK TRIM.NILlocal history, costume, female, womens clothing

This overcoat was designed and tailored by Dominex, a company that sold clothing in high end department stores such as Myer and David Jones in the 1940s through to the 2000s. As pictured in the accompanying advertising, Dominex looked to produce clothes for women to “casually, confidently wear … the exquisite styling and superb tailoring of… Dominex Coats”. This sentiment was carried by the company for more than 60 years. Amanda Morgan, a director of the Dominex fashion label in an interview from 2003 said “Not everybody wants sass, or sex, or high fashion for that matter. Au contraire. Our customers will be stylish, sophisticated and womanly, but we don’t do shoestring straps or asymmetrical lines." Dominex was a label specialising in exceptional quality "traditional" dressing for corporate wear. Their clothes looked to provide women with a return to the tried and true values of elegant, unpretentious, classic dressing. "Our look is European-influenced," Morgan explained further. "Inspired by Armani, Valentino, Chanel and Escada. Suits have been specially dyed in France to ensure the perfect shade of ice blue, lemon, grey, or slate. Fabrics are natural, silk and linen. Shapes are stylish, with an almost 1930s feel; classic pants, silk shirts, structured overcoats with elegant-length” Returning to this overcoat, it has a label on the inside which reads “Pure Wool Material by Godfrey Hirst of Geelong”. Nowadays Godfrey Hirst produce flooring products and are the largest manufacturer and exporter of residential and commercial carpets in Australasia. They have expanded into hard flooring and left their fashion days behind. This overcoat serves as a useful example of a different time for the company; before they made the change to concentrating exclusively on flooring, when they produced fabrics to be tailored for the height of Australian fashion. This overcoat was purchased and worn by Joan Waller, aunty of the donor, Kim Rosenow. Kim said her aunty was from Ballarat but frequently shopped in Melbourne to keep up with the latest trends. Her aunty Joan fitted the target demographic of Dominex well, as she needed to look sophisticated and elegant at social events and work. Kim donated the overcoat to the National Wool Museum in 2021. Green singled breasted overcoat with a narrow overlap and one column of buttons for fastening. The overcoat features notched lapels of a medium width and two large buttons of a green & dark green marble. The overcoat has two semi-visible jetted pockets at the hips. Internally, the overcoat features a black silk lining for comfort. It also features a stitched patch on the left side of the opening which reads “Pure Wool Material by Godfrey Hirst of Geelong”. At the collar, another patch reads “Dominex REGD”. At the cuffs, the overcoat finishes in a type of gauntlet cuff which stretches back over 200mm. The decorative finish utilises no buttons and has thick piping to accentuate this design feature. The overcoat finishes with a simple invisible hem at the bottom.Wording, gold. Patch stitched at collar: “DomineX / REGD.” Wording, black. Patch stitched at left off opening: “PURE WOOL MATERIAL BY / Godfrey Hirst / OF GEELONG”dominex, fashion, women's corporate wear, godfrey hirst, overcoat, wool clothing

These are the Chinese robes that belonged to Forests Commission fireguard and builder of Moscow Villa - Bill ah Chow. Every organisation has a handful of colourful characters, and the Commission had its share, but Bill remains one of its enduring legends. After Bill's death in 1967, the robes were safely kept by Bill's daughter, Rose, until she died in 1993. The robes then passed to Bill's granddaughter, Janice, and were also highly prized. Janice wrote a book about Bill and Moscow Villa in 2019. After much deliberation, the family felt the retired foresters were better positioned to keep Bill's story alive. Bill loved to tell embellished campfire stories and often claimed to be a descendant of Chinese Royalty, but his family believes the robes were more likely picked up from a second-hand shop in Little Bourke Street in the 1940s. In 2018 the Chinese Museum in Melbourne gave this advice. Mr. Ah Chow is dressed in a way that imitates a Mandarin or official of the Qing Dynasty. His hat looks like a mandarin style hat, a Qing dynasty official’s headwear, although it’s quite unlikely that he was actually a Mandarin. The button atop the hat usually indicated the wearer’s rank. His robe fastens up to the neck with buttons, which is typical of Manchurian style men’s clothing of the Qing dynasty also. He is not wearing a rank badge, which denoted official status. This kind of garment was also normally worn with a separate collar, which Mr. Ah Chow is not wearing in any of these pictures.Chinese clothing including robes, bear skin hat, silk trousers and slippers

The jacket would have fitted a young baby up to three months old. It may have been used at a later date for dolls clothes because of the addition of hooks and eyes to the front opening of the jacket. These were sewn on with orange cotton.It is a lovely example of an old lace-trimmed, hand-made baby jacket. Cream jacket to fit up to three months old. Collar and sleeves and edges trimmed with lace. Very fine silk like material. Front opening has two hooks and eyes sewn on with orange cotton. infant clothing

These matching cuffs could be attached to and detached from sleeves as needed in order to embellish an outfit and for ease of cleaning as cuffs would soil more quickly than the rest of an outfit. Their original owner is unknown, but it was purchased in the late 1990s by the donor who later moved to Emerald but, at the time, had a 2nd hand decoration shop in Camberwell when she purchased this as part of a group of garments which included bloomers, lace collars and cuffs, camisoles etc - all of which have been donated to the Museum. The donor was informed at the time of purchase that the garments were over 100 years old.These lovely handmade cuffs enabled more personalisation and variety of outfits as well as facilitating more efficient cleaning of clothes.A pair of cream-colored lace cuffs made of silk tapes with infilled needle stitching. Hand-made.female, lynne findlay collection, cuffs, lace

This dress is believed to have belonged to Ruby May Selina Wallace (1891-1973), who lived in the Inglewood area, Victoria. It was donated by an Emerald resident who received it from Ruby. The dress was likely worn around the 1930's and was probably made by a dressmaker. This is an example of a stylish tailor-made dress from circa 1930s.Long sleeved mid length black chiffon day dress with cream silk inset at bodice and sleeve cuffs. Ties back at the waist with applique and hand embroidered embellishment to front panel.No inscriptionsclothing, fashion, 1930s

Tibetan felt hats, typically made from wool felt crafted from sheep or yak wool, are well-suited to the harsh, cold climate of the Tibetan Plateau. A lining and decorative elements, such as embroidery or patterns, are often added. The fur flaps, made from rabbit or fox fur, provide extra warmth. Felt hats are worn by both men and women.Tibetan hats (also known as ‘chuba hats’ or ‘tsamtha’) are rich in cultural significance. They are often worn during religious ceremonies, festivals, and other important occasions. The design and quality of a hat can indicate the wearer's social status or role within the community.Traditional Tibetan hat with silk brocaded crown in blue and purple colours, with red and white flower pattern, and large fur flaps.everyday life, clothing, hats

Green silk front, machine embroidery panel down the centre front, binding around neck edge with small bow at centre front.costume, female

A black jacket made of all over faggoted lace. Black silk roulea joined by cotton thread in a cross - way stitch. Short sleeve scopple shaped edge, shaped jacket, fastened with five frogs down the centre front, small collar with rounded ends.costume, female

An excellent example of 1960's fashionc 1960s Black and white check houndstooth A line overcoat with Peter Pan collar. Two metal leather covered clasps down front. One hidden button at hip level. Black silk lining throughoutMORNESSA made in Englandcostume, female

Machine knitted vest with hand crochet edging C 1900Machine knitted peach coloured silk vest, crochet edging at armholes and neckline with a gathering tape around neckWinifred J H14 on tag applied to back

Unkown, possibly Chinese from 1930'sCollar made of cream satin rouleau piping joined by needle lace stitching in silk thread

?late 19th century cloud shaped collarYunjian cloud collar. Four lobed collar in red, green and cream silk embroidered in fine gold metal thread. Floral and bat motifs. Secured by anornate brass button.floral, bat