Whanganui Regional Museum features 1970s working style

The 1970s woman's trouser suit will be unveiled with a free fashion talk.

The Whanganui Regional Museum is delving into the working woman’s wardrobe next month, with the next edition of Ko te Kākahu o te Marama — Outfit of the Month.

A 1970s woman’s trouser suit is to be the subject of the free fashion talk, which launches the short-term exhibition next week.

The fashion talk is part of the ongoing Outfit of the Month series, which showcases an outfit or item of clothing each month, from the museum’s extensive clothing and textile collection.

Senior curator Libby Sharpe said the suit was purchased in the United States during the 1970s: “It was bought in Dallas, Texas, by Mrs Joan Worthington who had married an American. She was an accountant, and he a school teacher. They returned to New Zealand to settle in her home town of Whanganui, and it was likely worn as sophisticated office workwear.”

The colour of the suit is described as a warm yellow and features tan buttons and velour collars. It is made of crimplene fabric, chosen at the time for its stiffness and crease-resistant qualities.

Libby Sharpe will present the new exhibition with a brief lunchtime fashion talk at 12.15pm on Friday, June 30, at the museum. The talk is informal, and about 15 minutes. Members of the public are invited to gather around the suit’s display case to learn more about its structure and origins. Entry is free, no booking is required, and all are welcome — meet in the Atrium. The suit will then be on display in the Museum throughout the month of July.

■ Founded in 1892, the Whanganui Regional Museum is internationally renowned for its Taonga Māori Collection. Located in Pukenamu Queen’s Park, visitors can view the exceptional creations of tūpuna (ancestors) of Whanganui tāngata whenua (indigenous people) alongside a changing exhibition programme encompassing a world-class collection of natural and human history, with a regional emphasis. The ground-level boutique museum store sells a range of local and Māori jewellery, books, cards, art, and other New Zealand-made gift items.

The Whanganui Regional Museum Trust is an independent legal entity that owns the collection and governs the development of the museum on behalf of the Whanganui community.

Open to visitors daily from 10am to 4.30pm (except Christmas Day and Good Friday), entry to Whanganui Regional Museum is free.

Connect with Whanganui Regional Museum at www.wrm.org.nz or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.