Fashion, fun and funds - a pattern the local chapter of Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) is following to a T on March 10. That's the date the group will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a major fundraiser to provide bursaries for women on the Sunshine Coast returning to school.
The afternoon's main draw is a fashion show - but not just any fashion show. This is an historical look at the fashions of the 20th century produced by Ivan Sayers and Company.
One of the more popular parts of the show is a demonstration of the turn-of-the-century (20th, that is) dress. The model begins in a shift, adds a corset, petticoat, bustle and all until the well-wrapped woman appears as the wasp-waisted beauty of the Gibson Girl era. The evolution of fashion during the last century parallels the evolution of the role of women in society. Gone are the days of trussing, hobbling and staying, elements designed to keep women as objects of admiration rather than citizens in their own right.
Sayers discusses the concepts of "status of wastage" and "beauty by impairment," ideas, according to him, that say the more handicapped a woman is by her clothing, the greater her importance and appeal.
The show traces the changes that the world wars, the Great Depression and the booming '50s had on clothing sensibilities. Journey with Sayers through the big shoulders of the 1940s, the poodle-skirts with their massive crinolines of the 1950s and the mini-skirts that marked the sexual revolution of the 1960s. And what would the show be without a nod to the hippy culture? Who can forget tie-dyed clothing or the less-is-more underwear of the '60s? Is anyone out there still banning the bra? And finally the show looks at the influence of the women's movement and wraps up with women in the modern world.
In addition to the entertaining, educational and enlightening fashion show, the CFUW has secured some fabulous art to raffle during the afternoon. Vivian Chamberlin, Mary Burgess, Maynard Halsey and Amanda Martinson have each donated a work of art. The pictures are as diverse and colourful as the clothing featured during the show. To date, the CFUW has awarded over $50,000 in bursaries locally. This exciting event ensures the good work of the group goes on. Plan to attend. It runs from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. March 10 at the Sechelt Seniors' Activity Centre. Tickets are $20 and are available at Coast Books in Gibsons, Talewind Books and Cactus Flower in Sechelt and at the door. For more information, call 604-886-1969 or 604-885-5039.
