Victorian Fashion Show and Tea presented by Friends of Citizens Library
It was Jean Kanouff’s grandmother who awakened her interest in vintage clothing.
Not long after Kanouff’s marriage, her grandmother allowed Kanouff and a younger sister to enter a room inside the home their great-grandparents moved to after their marriage in 1881 that had been off-limits to them as children. Inside they found antique furniture, numerous old household items, wedding dresses and other vintage clothing that had been carefully preserved for years.
The treasure trove delighted Kanouff so much she became a vintage-clothing enthusiast who now gives fashion shows with displays and information on period clothing from the late 1800s to the 1960s.
Part of her collection will be featured at the Victorian Fashion Show and Tea presented by Friends of Citizens Library from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 22 at Venue 54, 54 W. Wheeling St., Washington.
The event will benefit Citizens Library.
Speaking by telephone from her Plum Borough home, Kanouff admitted when she was shown the Victorian wedding dress was the day she fell in love with the clothing that dated back to the 1880s.
“There were things in that in that room that had been hanging in the closet untouched for many years,” Kanouff said. Her grandmother then opened a dresser drawer and lifted out the undergarments that were worn with that wedding dress.
“When you don’t move, you don’t have to throw anything away. Her drawers looked like archaeological digs,” Kanouff said.
Eventually, her grandmother passed the clothes on to Kanouff knowing that her granddaughter would cherish them.
It became the nucleus of the Kanouff’s collection of vintage clothing. She has purchased few items though as word of her interest has spread. She often finds boxes of clothing at her front door because the donor did not have the heart to throw them away.
“I’m glad to take any donations because the next step will be the garbage,” she said.
Kanouff has been presenting fashion shows for more than 40 years at churches, civic groups, nursing homes, libraries and other groups. The farthest she has traveled to present a show is Gettysburg.
She enhances the clothing displays by undertaking research on the pieces. A graduate of Clairon University, Kanouff majored in library science. She worked as the Penn Hills Library for 25 years and later as a school librarian for the Penn Hills School District.
“I have a library of my own now here at the house, so I refer to my library a lot. I’ll be bringing a lot of books with me about the Victorian age too,” she said of this month’s tea.
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, and while there was a big change in fashion during those years, Kanouff noted Victoria favored similar styles. Victorian clothing was very well made and she has accessories to show too.
She encouraging those attending to bring in their own vintage clothing and has a few tips on how to preserve antique clothing, including storing it inside a cedar-lined closet or chest, wrapped in acid-free paper.
“When someone tells me (the clothing has) been in a cedar chest for umpteen years, I’ll take it,” she said.
Tickets for the event are $20 and may be purchased at CitiBooks, on the lower level of the library, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.