Playing dress-up — for a good cause

Playing dress-up — for a good cause

Polly Varhol chose a very special outfit to wear Tuesday — depicting the style of the late 1890s.

It was all part of her "escape from the humdrum of our normal lives," she said grinning.

"And it's fun," she added.

Varhol, a docent for the Gov. Warner Mansion, was decked out in a floral dress she made herself from material that once was a bedspread or drapes — she couldn't recall exactly— salvaged from a resale shop.

Mary Jean Shore was also smartly dressed in a piece common for ladies in the Edwardian Period — just after the turn of the 20th century. "It's very comfortable, actually," Shore said. "And it adds to the flavor of the event."

The special occasion was the "Fashions Then and Now" vintage fashion show and luncheon, this year's annual fundraiser for the Gov. Warner Mansion in Farmington. Organized by Shore and Jean Shorenick, the sold-out event was held at the Huron River Club and featured guest speaker Lynn Anderson and her traveling exhibit of women's outfits — authentic and reproductions — from the late 1800s through the 1970s. Some, like Shore, Varhol and members of the audience, got in the spirit of it all by dressing the part.

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"It's a lot of excitement, a lot of support," Shore said, adding that she was "ecstatic" about the strong turnout. Proceeds from the event will go toward repairing the back section of the mansion, which is separating from the main structure.

Joining several models that are part of Anderson's regular show were current and former Farmington-area residents Cheryl Blau, Nancy Coumoundouros, Vera Lucksted, Erica Reaves, Annika Taylor and Maria Taylor — whose silky, peach gown and opera gloves had her feeling "very glamorous, very much a lady," she said.

Taylor said having a vintage fashion show was quite appropriate for the fundraiser, given the historical significance of the mansion itself.

Coumoundouros was dressed as women did in the Victorian Era. "It's just kind of nice to wear something romantic and beautiful," she said.

Of course, the reason for doing so was a "wonderful cause," she added. "The Warner Mansion gives so much back to the community," she said.

For Sue Surletta, one of Anderson's models, wearing a 1950s floral dress with a "fru-fru slip" and white patent leather shoes as part of the show is not only fun but "brings back memories."

"It's like being back in the old days when we used to dress up as kids," Surletta said — which was a similar reaction attendee Linda Shewbridge had by watching the parade of outfitted women.

"It was fantastic," Shewbridge said, following the fashion show. "I loved it — it was just like going back in time."

Another attendee, Stacey Dunkerley, agreed. "I thought it was great, a very good overview and a nice selection from each decade."

How much money the event brought in hasn't yet been determined, Shore said, but repair work is expected to start on the mansion this summer.

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