Your Guide to Fashion & Textiles Dealers and Events

'As prices for vintage fashion continue to rocket, it's been dubbed the new art, making it a great investment. But it's more than just a potential moneymaker – that 60’s dress or 30’s clutch bag can make you look a million dollars. As prices spiral, we spill the beans on the fashion fairs, events and dealers right here on your doorstep, where ‘insiders’ go, lured by the promise of highly individual pieces....'

Re-Collections. Margaret G. Powling visits a new exhibition celebrating 30 years of the Killerton dress collection currently on display in Devon

'Whatever we wear we are expressing ourselves. “For hundreds of years clothes have been used to signify status, power, political messages and wealth, while for ordinary people they have been adapted for various trades and professions,” says Cally Blackman (author of Costume and a Trustee of the Costume Society.)...'

Hats. Margaret G. Powling looks back at the most dramatic fashion accessory of all – hats have been the crowning glory for almost 300 years

'50 years ago Christian Dior published his Little Dictionary of Fashion from which these words are taken. Admittedly, it is a couturier’s opinion but it serves to demonstrate how a hat was once an essential part of a woman’s outfit. “It was during the 18th century that hats as we know them today entered the fashionable wardrobe...'

Travilla The man who dressed Marilyn Monroe. The Assembly Rooms in Bath – and home of the Fashion Museum – is hosting a touring exhibition from 29th July to 22nd August of the work of Hollywood designer William Travilla

'With a career spanning over 40 years and more than 100 credits to his name, William Travilla  was one of the most prolific Hollywood designers to date. He is best known for dressing Marilyn Monroe for eight of her films, and this exhibition showcases five prototypes of these dresses, alongside two dresses designed for Marilyn for personal appearances. ...'

Hooked. Buttonhooks are inexpensive, take up very little space and were made in an astonishing variety of shapes and materials.

'When was the zip fastener invented? Apparently, one Elias Howe came up with what he called “an automatic continuous clothing closure” in 1851. He patented the idea but it never came to market, possibly because he was too busy with his other invention: the sewing machine...'