Evoke the elegance of a bygone era

CONNECTION: Gaye Pointon presents mother-in-law Bernice Pointon's 1950s ball gown in her family museum. PHOTOS/LYNDA FERINGA

Velvet gowns, long dress gloves, fish-tail ball dresses and a "stunning" 1940s Paris label are on offer for a nostalgic trip into the past.

The Pointon Museum is hosting a display entitled Fabulous Evening Wear from the 1940s and 1950s until the end of July.

The collection features some of the most beautiful ball gowns and evening dresses from the era, including an elegant dress belonging to the late Greta Daniell, mother of former mayor Gary Daniell which the collection owner guesses she probably wore at the 1954 100th anniversary ball for Masterton.

The collection belongs to Gaye Pointon who said she had collected the vintage dresses through friends, donations and local theatre groups.

"It all started with the vintage car club really. You'd dress up for different evening events held by the club and it really snowballed from there. I've been lucky because I've had a lot of them donated ... I've got quite a few from the Harlequin and MAT (Masterton Amateur Theatre) group. The dresses are too small for the average size woman. I'm lucky I have got in first," she said.

The collection on display includes ball gowns and dinner gowns from the World War II era including a group of velvet dresses; one with a gorgeous low back pulled into a fish-tail at the bottom and another with French Champs Elysees ruching.

"They are just fabulous," Mrs Pointon said.

The collection would take people back in time to an era barely remembered.

"I'm lucky enough in that I was a teenager in the 60s because, by the time I left school, I'd been to a couple of balls.

"It was a time of fun when girls dressed up over the top and wore make-up ... you don't see women wearing gloves these days. It's an era long gone - a time of debutantes."

The collection is on display in the Pointon Car Museum and includes old dress patterns and embroidered handbags and shoulder stoles.

- The exhibition can be viewed between 10am and 4pm. Entry, which also includes a guided tour of the vintage car museum, is $8 for adults and $2 for children.