A Fashionable Saturday

Once again I'm late with my post.

Saturday was a busy, and a long day. 

My sister is a big supporter of Farmers' Markets, so we began our day by taking in the Notting Hill Farmers' Market.

Mom and I had visited the market earlier in the spring.  Several weeks later there were lots of changes - especially in the selection of fruit and veg.  It's a great little market with breads, fish, meat, soups, and product.  No need for a big-box grocery store with this in the neighborhood.

From the market we strolled down past the row of beautiful embassies to Kensington Palace.

The palace now hosts a permanent exhibit called "Victoria Revealed".  The dress to the left is the one she wore to her first cabinet meeting, the center photo shows her wedding dress, the top right the clothes the family wore upon Prince Albert's death.

The Locksley Elders Sewing Group and Historic Royal Palaces Group created a panel of needlework which hung in one of the rooms.

The last room showed off several photos.  I found 'family portraits' which include Albert's marble bust to be rather creepy. 

The other exhibition at Kensington Palace is called "Fashion Rules."

It included three of Queen Elizabeth II's gowns.

It a compare and contrast it also featured several of Princess Margaret's more 'modish' outfits. I have to think the Queen's classic gowns better stand the test of time.

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the final fashion icon.  The beading and details of her four gowns was stunning.

One was of the palace is hung with this extraordinary wallpaper based on sketches of the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.

And look at the labels for the loos!  Everyone is treated royally at Kensington Palace!

Here's a shot of one of Kensington Palace's the garden rooms.

Not scared to use bold color in these borders.

The garden also has a sizeable water feature which delighted small children and an array of waterfowl.

The next stop on our Fashion Tour - the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace.

The exhibition was called "In Fine Style" and began by showing of the sumptuous clothes of King Henry VIII and his three children. 

The color of the fabric, the use of lace and jewels - all were overt signs of the wearer's wealth and status.

The outfits of even the youngest of children also reflected their status.

The Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, the Archduchess of Austria (1566-1633) is also shown the the collage above with her sister - both wearing green dresses.  I guess she never knew any other way to dress - but in the most extraordinary fashion and style.

The exhibit pointed out that many of these portraits were copied several times and sent to other royal courts.  Thus the latest fashion styles of Spain and France were also viewed by the elite of England and Germany.

Not everyone in the exhibition was royal however.  This amazing Rembrandt, is called "Agatha Bas".  She was the daughter and wife of successful (and wealthy) merchants. 

As for the Stuarts - I think it this period it is the men's fashions that outshine those of the women's.

I had to share this needlework casket...

...and this large stumpwork casket.  Both from the 1660's.

The decorative arts are equal to the clothing of the period.

All that made for a busy day.  But it was not yet over.  In the evening we headed over to the Prince of Wales theatre and watching an amusing and irreverent performance of the musical, "The Book of Mormon." Funnily enough, though I quite liked the show, as I got ready for bed late that evening, the tunes that echoed in my head were from "The Sound of Music" from two nights ago.  I guess we know which of the two musicals will be forever the classic!