CBC
News Posted:
Jan 02, 2014 3:05 PM AT Last Updated: Jan 02,
2014 3:05 PM AT
With the PEI 2014
celebrations now underway, some Islanders are updating their wardrobes with a
step back in time to 150 years ago — the year of the Charlottetown Conference.
Karen Beauregard is
making a period dress for herself from scratch. She's discovering the
challenge of such a big sewing project.
"The yards and
yards and yards of fabric ... I couldn't imagine not having an
electric sewing machine ...They could only invite so many people to parties
because the gowns took up so much room when they were dancing," she said.
Beauregard has learned
a lot from Arnold Smith, an Islander who has a passion for period fashion.
In the fall, Smith
hosted a dress-making class in his home in Pleasant Valley led by fabric artist
Ann-Blair White.
They'll hold another
one later this month.
The goal is to
encourage Islanders celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown
Conference to dress for the occasion, said Smith.
"If they're doing
various functions, garden parties, reenactments, whatever, or if someone just
wanted to dress up and go for a stroll down through Victoria Park, give the
tourists a thrill and let them take their picture, there's lots of things you
can do," he said.
A love of
period clothing
Back in 1989, for the 125th anniversary
of the Charlottetown Conference, Smith played the role of founding father
Andrew A. MacDonald.
It was then Smith
developed his love of collecting and making period clothing.
Smith picks up items at
auctions and vintage clothing stores.
And he's happy to lend his collection to spirited Islanders with tail
feathers for the men and elaborate dresses for the ladies.
"And it doesn't
necessarily have to be something that looks 1864," he said.
"You can do any
period through the time because part of the celebration is that they're
celebrating the whole past, not just that one particular night."
Smith is also working
on a couple outfits for the lieutenant governor's wife, Dorothy.
