“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” — Oscar Wilde

VALDOSTA — Fashion is a reflection of society; an indication of prosperous times or of times when hardships prevailed. Writings about a period last for many lifetimes, but far too often, other symbols of a period are discarded and not preserved.

Over the years, hundreds of individuals have taken the time and care to preserve their precious pieces of antique and vintage clothing, and donated them to the Lowndes County Museum so that current and future generations can learn a visual lesson about the past. The Museum is opening a special exhibit Saturday to showcase more than 100 pieces in its collection of clothing so that the public can learn “the human side of history,” according to volunteer Amy Brown.

Brown, an expert in textiles, has donated weeks of her time to help in the preparation and proper cataloging of the articles, which include baby shoes, bonnets, wedding dresses, party dresses, and mid-19th century work clothes.

“I am so proud of Valdosta for preserving this,” said Brown, adding that the displayed items account for less than 20 percent of the total number of clothing items the museum has in storage. Executive Director Steve Burrell said they’ve been working hard for months to inventory all of the donated pieces and are planning future exhibits, but space is an issue and only so much can be shown at one time.

Burrell and Brown gave a brief explanatory tour of the displayed items, including men’s and women’s work clothes from the mid-1800s. Burrell explained the unusual fly on the man’s trousers, which were three buttons with a wide open area covered by a flap that buttons across the top. “This was before zippers and were the predecessors of today’s bib overalls.” The ladies dress was well worn and obviously for every day wear, in stark contrast to many of the far more elaborate pieces, which Brown said were obviously worn by the wealthy, as the beadwork, handmade lace and intricate detail work and stitching indicate.

Burrell pointed out a pair of ladies’ bloomers dating from the late 1800s which were “wedding night” lingerie. He and Brown were educated on the unusual styling by a member of the historical society who was quite amused, according to Burrell, by their lack of knowledge of such “delicate” matters.

In the display case next to it, Brown points out a pair of “union” pants, which she says were so named because it is a union or combining of a camisole and bloomers. She pointed out the very intricate and detailed handmade embroidery and lace, representing many hours of time, for “underwear. No one would have seen this. It absolutely is representative of the Victorian period because they dressed up everything, even their underwear.”

Another display case holds a beautiful but simple black skirt and four camisole tops which would have been interchanged with the skirt. Beautiful? Absolutely. Unusual? Not until you realize that the waists on the shirts are only 18 or 19 inches and each is made with bone stays. The very petite size of all of the clothing is perhaps the most striking aspect of the exhibit.

Intricate lace and beading, several beautiful wedding gowns, a flapper dress from the 1920s, party dresses from the 1930s, and an array of hats donated by Kitty Oliver, many with their original C.C. Varnedoe & Co. hatboxes, which also say, “The Style Center of Valdosta.”

The items will be on display through July during regular museum hours, with the grand opening scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lowndes County Museum at 305 W. Central Ave.