Museum Notebook: He huruhuru te manu ka tau! Dressed to thrill! Fashion from the 1890s and the 1990s

Coat dress donated by Margaret Pearson. WRM 2016.46.3

Hot on the heels of the Whanganui Regional Museum's vibrant exhibition Dressed to Thrill: Fashion and Accessories from the 1870s and 1970s comes a dynamic new exhibition.

Opening soon, it turns its attention to two wildly different decades in fashion history – the 1890s and the 1990s, using garments from the museum's collection. Most of the items have a specific connection to Whanganui, and all of them have a fascinating backstory.

The two decades could not be more different, and the contrast of these aesthetics placed alongside each other is striking.

Women's high fashions in the 1890s featured long dresses with ruffles, extravagant frills and highly structured bustles. Men wore dark jackets, vests and long trousers. The fashion-conscious and the wealthy had bespoke clothing custom-made by seamstresses and tailors who sourced their materials from local dealers. Fine fabrics, such as silks and velvets, were the order of the day.

From the collection is a stunning loose gown from the 1890s that was designed to be worn at home when close friends or family visited. This was a time when women typically wore corsets and many layers of undergarments. The tea gown was the most comfortable item a woman could wear and did not require a corset to be worn. This enabled the wearer to be more relaxed in the company of people she knew well.

Featuring a lush burgundy coloured open weave fine wool, centre front opening of hook and eyes and delicate fabric-covered buttons and hand-made thread loops, the dress is pin-tucked with a white applied lace band and machine-made lace edging on the bodice. Below the elbow puff sleeves and a flared skirt are beautiful details.

Tea gown donated by Lillian Harper, 1967. WRM 1967.169.1

By contrast, the 1990s saw the rise of grunge and a shift towards a generally more relaxed approach to everyday wear. A key look of this decade was anti-conformist: hoodies, sneakers, ripped jeans and t-shirts as a fashion statement were popular. But there were exceptions. Public servants and professionals still needed business suits and ties.

A boxy coat made from multi-coloured raw silk squares is another eye-catching garment in the exhibition.

Donated to the museum by Margaret Pearson, who wore it to her daughter's wedding in 1993, she purchased it from a Wellington boutique for $400, which was a considerable sum back then. Epitomising the 1990s silhouette and a focus on natural fabrics, it's a real statement piece. Pearson wore it with a pair of plum-coloured trousers which she made for the wedding, using a Vogue pattern.

These are just two examples of the compelling items which range from bikinis and corsets to jeans and boudoir caps featured in Dressed to Thrill: Fashion from the 1890s and 1990s. The exhibition is set to open at the museum soon.

• Kiran Dass is the marketing and communications co-ordinator at the Whanganui Regional Museum