Pale eau de nil and cream ensemble consisting of jacket, shirt, blouse and hat. Worn by Amanda Roocroft as Fiordiligi in Mozart's opera Cosi Fan Tutte at Glyndebourne Opera House, 1990s. Designed by Maria Björnson (1949-2002)

S.207:1-2018, Jacket

Pale green eau-de-nil jacket decorated with cream lace. The silhouette of the jacket reflects the fashions of the early twentieth century. It follows the line of the body and fits closely at the waist, flaring out slightly at the hips. The front and rear skirt of the jacket are shaped with pleating which adds fullness at the centre back. It has a soft, round, collar with wide revers and the long sleeves extend into a slight point at the wrist. These revers are embellished with panels of scallop edged cream machine lace shaped into a stylised pattern of leaves.

Panels of the same machine lace, set on ribbed eau-de-nil silk[?] are positioned at either side of the front opening. Five buttonholes are present in the panel set behind the proper right side opening. There are no matching buttons in the proper left panel, but there are potential traces of past stitches at the interior. These panels are set behind the proper left and proper right side opening, creating the illusion that a waistcoat is being worn beneath the jacket.

The interior is lined with pale blue polyester. The waist is defined with two shaped panels of the same eau-de-nil fabric as used for the jacket, the edges bound in blue fabric. Layered pairs of cream machine woven petalled flowers have been applied at the proper left and proper right of these fabric panels, creating the effect of a belt with a flower shaped buckle at the front waist. These ‘belts’ run around the rear of the jacket meeting in a widening diamond point at the centre back where it is decorated with a round five petalled layered flower.

S.207:2-2018, Skirt

Long straight eau-de-nil ribbed silk[?] skirt. The interior is lined with blue polyester with the same fabric used to create the wide waistband. The skirt fastens at the centre back with a vertical row of two pairs of hooks and eyes at the waistband and the centre back opening closes with 3 metal press studs.

The skirt is largely plain, but the centre front hem of the skirt front rises up in a softly pointed slit above which the skirt is shaped with 3 rows of triangular pointed pleats. The hem of the skirt is bound with a band of self-coloured eau-de-nil fabric.

S.207:3-2018, Blouse

Cream synthetic[?] blouse extending into a cotton peplum at the waist. The blouse has a soft round collar and long sleeves. It fastens at the centre front with a vertical row of 5 pearlescent buttons, with a press stud fastening at the centre front of the collar and a metal hook and eye at the waist.

The blouse is relatively plain, with a narrow band of cream braid running from the proper right and proper left shoulder to either side of the proper right and proper left waist.

S.207:4-2018, Hat

Straw bicorn hat with wide upturned brim, edged with blue ribbed silk[?] and a round crown. The front section of the brim is upturned and features a pleated fabric rosette at the proper right side. The round crown of the hat is decorated with a spray of white ostrich feathers, grouped together with shorter pale turquoise feathers. The hat is lined with cream polyester[?] and the interior of the brim is faced with a band of gold Petersham ribbon. Three twisted thread loops have also been added to this lining.

Given by Glyndebourne Productions Ltd

Pale eau de nil and cream ensemble consisting of jacket, shirt, blouse and hat. Worn by Amanda Roocroft as Fiordiligi in Mozart's opera Cosi Fan Tutte at Glyndebourne Opera House, 1990s. Designed by Maria Björnson (1949-2002).

S.207:1 to 4-2018