This item is part of the Di Reidie collection. Diane Reidie was a much loved volunteer and President of Brighton Historical Society from 1999 until 2016. Originally from New Zealand, Di and her family lived in Male Street, Brighton for many years. A vibrant and energetic person with a zest for life and a gift for bringing people together, Di was a friend to many in the Bayside community and active in local community organisations. Her tireless work as President of BHS saw her named Bayside Citizen of the Year in 2008. As a seller and collector of vintage clothing, she was passionate about fashion history; one of her many enduring contributions to BHS was her extensive work in preserving, developing and promoting the Society's costume collection. In 2018-19, Di donated more than one hundred items from her personal vintage clothing collection to the Society. The collection, which includes clothing, hats, handbags and shoes from local and international designers, is representative of Di's wide-ranging interests, colourful personality, creativity, humour and love of fashion and travel. Di purchased this 1930s dress in 1983 to wear to her sister's Registry Office wedding in William Street, Melbourne. It was the first vintage clothing item she ever purchased and was the starting point of a lifelong love of collecting, preserving and promoting historical clothing. She subsequently wore the dress to a great number of events and considered it an important piece in her wardrobe. c1930s black cotton filet net dress with white cotton embroidered flowers. The dress fastens centre front with three hook and eyes, eleven black silk covered buttons and finished with black acetate ribbon band pussy bow at the neck , is slim fitting and finishes at approximately knee length. The head of the sleeve is gathered with a small shoulder band and finishes above the elbow with a black silk band. filet net, 1930s, di reidie, vintage clothing

The Fashion & Design collection of Kew Historical Society includes examples of textiles dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the textiles, were used as items of clothing, others as items of household decoration, or simply as travel souvenirs. These textiles were created both domestically and internationally. Predictably with the growth of an ethnically and culturally more diverse community in Kew after the Second World War, textiles, clothing and objects in the collection inevitably reflected this diversity. Net jabot with 3 machine made filet inserts. Edged with machine made tape lacelace, women's clothing, jabots

Square wire frame, bound with green tape. Attached net, with partially completed filet lace.netting