Output details

Horrockses Fashions: Off the Peg Style in the ‘40s and ‘50s

The monograph and associated exhibition are submitted as a double weighted output as they represent a substantial piece of research, built on a small pilot study (‘Our Best Dresses’ - Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, 2001) and focused on the development of the fashion brand ‘Horrockses Fashions’ in the context of the rise of ready-to-wear clothing in post-war Britain. Its originality lies in the integrated approach to the study of fashion, using one company to examine the whole process involved in the manufacture of ready-to-wear: from concept, design (of fabric and clothing), manufacture, retail, promotion and consumption – presented in an exhibition context. The focus on the rise of a brand and investigation of the clothing choices of ordinary women was particularly significant.

The research included extensive use of primary data much of which had not been consulted previously, including business records, design archives, interviews with designers and consumers. The objects presented came from a wide range of sources including museum and private collections. The outputs presented the brand from three perspectives: that of the manufacturer; the press and the individual consumer. They interrogated Horrockses Fashions’ presentation of its brand, with its borrowing of discourses from couture fashion, and compared these with the reception of their products by women consumers. This was achieved through the text and labels as well as in the presentation of ‘official’ promotional imagery contrasted with photographs of consumers wearing the brand.

The curatorship of the exhibition was by invitation based on Boydell’s previous work. Visitor figures were the highest the Museum had enjoyed (11,000 compared to previous highs of 8,000). Following its successful run in London – the exhibition has toured to: Basildon Park Berkshire, National Trust (April – Oct 2011 extended to November due to popularity (20% more visitors during show); National Museum of Costume, Shambellie House, Dumfries April-Oct 2012.

The monograph and associated exhibition are submitted as a double weighted output as they represent a substantial piece of research, built on a small pilot study (‘Our Best Dresses’ - Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, 2001) and focused on the development of the fashion brand ‘Horrockses Fashions’ in the context of the rise of ready-to-wear clothing in post-war Britain.