Spring into summer fashion

A child’s summer dress from the 1970s is on show at Leeds City Museum as part of its For All Seasons exhibition.

The little cotton frock was made by Marks and Spencer in 1970. Cotton is a good conductor of heat, like many natural fibres, making it the perfect material for summer clothes designed to keep people cool.

Ruth Martin, Leeds City Museum’s curator of exhibitions, said: “Fashion and the clothes we wear at different times of the year are perhaps the clearest visual example of the influence the changing seasons have on us. For as long as people have been wearing clothes, they’ve had to adapt them to suit the climate and environment they live in and that in turn has led us to create more stylish and colourful designs that reflect our mood at different times of the year.”

For All Seasons explores how the changing seasons influence everything from art to nature and fashion. The free exhibition is accompanied by specially-recorded classical piano sheet music from the museum’s collection and features objects which illustrate spring, summer, autumn and winter including wildlife, 100 year-old decorative Easter eggs, ceramics, paintings and fashions.

Councillor Brian Selby, Leeds City Council’s lead member for museums and galleries, said: “The power which the changing seasons have to influence every facet of our lives is perfectly illustrated by the sheer scope and variety of objects on display in this exhibition.”

For more details about the exhibition, which runs until August 28, and the programme of activities, please visit: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Pages/Seasons.aspx.