Stitches in Time: Three Centuries of Hemlines, Necklines, and Everything In-Between

Join us for Stitches in Time: Three Centuries of Hemlines, Necklines, and Everything In-Between, an unforgettable fashion journey.

This fascinating presentation explores how clothing styles evolved across three centuries of New Jersey’s social and cultural history. The Livingston and Kean families preserved generations of garments in attics, basements, closets, and even beneath floorboards. Each carefully stored piece tells a story of everyday life, changing trends, and personal style choices over time.

In Stitches in Time: Three Centuries of Hemlines, Necklines, and Everything In-Between, fashion becomes a lens into history. Historian Hannah Gaston uses stunning visuals and engaging stories to bring each garment’s era vividly to life. She explores fashion dos and don’ts while tracing shifts in fabric, silhouette, and society’s dress expectations. You’ll see how trends reflected identity, class, and changing cultural values, from wide hoop skirts to tailored suits.

Whether elegant ballgowns or modest daywear, these items offer insight into lives we can now imagine and appreciate. This event is perfect for fashion fans, history lovers, and anyone curious about our state’s stylish past. You’ll leave with a richer understanding of how clothing once shaped—and mirrored—life in the Garden State. Gaston’s talk combines expert research, storytelling, and beautiful imagery in a program that’s both informative and entertaining.

Don’t miss the opportunity to view fashion through the eyes of those who wore and preserved it.

Let these stitched stories guide you through centuries of change, design, and personal expression woven into fabric.

Library Branch: Library of the Chathams
Room: Woman’s Club Room
Event Details: This lively talk covers all the fashion dos & don’ts and how fashion has changed over three centuries, with guest speaker Hannah Gaston of Liberty Hall Museum, Union.

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