Visit Our Museums
Costume
The costume collection ranges from the late 18th to the mid 20th century, with the main strength being women’s costumes of the 19th and early 20th centuries, as can be seen on display at the Silk Heritage Museum. There are shawls, underwear, trimmings, neckwear and printed handkerchiefs. Fascinating periods from the past have been captured in costume, such as underwear made from parachute silk!
Silk dress made in the 1820s with an Empire line. Coffee coloured crêpe weave with satin leaf decoration.The period from 1815 to 1825 was a transitional one for women as skirts became fuller, with gored panels and hemlines rose higher too. Width across the bust was emphasised by puff sleeves.
Silk and alpaca long sleeved wedding dress worn by May Oliver at her wedding in 1836 at Forest Chapel. It is believed the dress was then used as a working gown and may have been worn by the husband's second wife Dinah in 1848.
Mauve silk crinoline dress with stripe, brocade motif and boned bodice, made around 1856.
Child's red and green silk crinoline dress made in 1855.
Purple watered silk bustle dress made by Misses Anstle and Seymour circa 1870. The dress was owned by Ada Scowcroft of Southport.
Black and white lady's silk cloché suit circa 1895.
Cream silk wedding dress trimmed with beads and tassels, worn by Miss Marshall for her wedding in 1910 at St John's Parish Church, Knutsford.
Lady's pink cotton gloves trimmed with embroidery.
The museum has a unique collection of Macclesfield Stripe, a fabric woven with a crepe warp and spun silk weft. This was particularly popular between the 1920s and the 1930s as it draped especially well, it was remarkably durable and most importantly it was boilable, making it the ideal fabric for handkerchiefs, blouses and dresses.
Close-up of a typical piece of Macclesfield Stripe.
There is also a particularly large collection of ties and tie material samples, approximately 40,000 samples from a number of Macclesfield based firms including Cartwright & Sheldon, James Arnold and the Macclesfield Silk Manufacturing Society.
The menswear collection includes waistcoats, ties, cravats and hats, with some particularly fine examples of mourning wear which can be see at the Heritage Centre.
Black silk man's mourning waistcoat with a brocade design on the front, and a striped lining. This was worn to the funeral of a member of the Sheldon family.
Close-up of a black silk waistcoat with a purple and white floral design made circa 1840.