By Diann Eason
To Display or Not to Display?
That Is the Fashion Question!
Have you thought about entering MAFCA Fashion Judging? You may be thinking you do not have experience or do not know enough about Model A era fashion. Let me share with you an experience which turned out to be fun and educational in the process.
The Era Fashion Committee (EFC) has worked on a new judging category, Fashion Display. As a member of the EFC during the development years of this new judging category, 4 or 5 to be exact, I thought the standards developed would be easy to put into place. So, I decided to enter an Era Image ensemble for the Fashion Display category at the 2025 NCRG meet in Sacramento.
I decided to drive with a group to Sacramento, so I had room in the SUV for a hanging dress form for displaying the Major Garment. I decided to pack the other parts of the ensemble in the hat boxes that I wanted to use in my display.
I began by reviewing the MAFCA Fashion Guidelines and the MAFCA website fashion pages to ensure my written description was accurate and complete as possible. I also reviewed the score sheets to make sure I understood the possible points for each element of my display.
Next I gathered the Major garment, a 1929 floral print spectator crape dress, a crochet sweater as the outer garment, beige shoes with a rounded toe box and Cuban heels, beige seamed stockings, a tan leather envelope style purse, pale beige crochet gloves, a beige summer straw cloche hat, cream colored pearls and ear rings, and finally a compact and handkerchief as accessories. Since the Judging Standards state that each entry would have minimum of three feet for the display, I started practicing how to make my display elegant, eye catching, and educational in three feet. I tried at least five separate ways to display my ensemble, taking pictures from different angles to get a distinct perspective. This really helped me decide on the final display plan. I also practiced with two different smaller pieces of fabric, one pale pink and a pale gold color to use as an accent to the display.
After all the planning and practice, it was time to leave for California. After a fun-filled drive with three friends from the Model A Ford Club of Colorado we arrived in beautiful Sacramento ready to dive into Fashion Display Judging!
I inspected the room assigned for judging and was pleased with the size of the room. Of course, the table arrangement would depend on the total number of entries. I also made sure I went to the meeting for all entrants. The Chief Judge, Lynette Marcione gave key details of what to expect. I was able to ask about the color of the tablecloths on each table. My plan was coming together, as I was able to decide on the color of my accent fabric before the actual day of judging.
When I arrived at the judging room, I found find my table labeled with my registration number and name. I assumed the table would be place against a wall; however, the table placement allowed the judging team to walk around the entire table. Since that was the situation, I had to make sure the back of the display was neat and as attractive as the front.
There are many ways to display the Major Garment. I chose a beautiful, padded hanger to hang the garment from a stand perched on top of two hat boxes covered with the accent fabric. I wanted to elevate the dress to show the length and circular skirt flowing over the edge of the table.
I put the crochet sweater over the shoulders of the dress, and then I placed one shoe at an angle to the other and placed the seamed hosiery in one of the shoes draping the toe section over the shoe. I displayed the envelope-style purse by opening it to reveal the kid skin leather pouches and attached mirror inside. I used a hat stand to display my summer straw cloche hat. I placed the gloves and handkerchief across the front on the circular skirt with the pearls, earrings, and compact arranged in a feminine fashion near the handkerchief.
Each of the displays was a wonderful attempt to show the beauty of each item.
I enjoyed making new friends in the judging room and learning from each display.
The judging process was thought out before our arrival, during, and at the awards presentation. You can trust your entry will be take care of, judged, and respected with care.
My suggestions below are a result of my experiences before leaving for the Sacramento meet, during, and after the meeting. I am pleased with the First Place Award that I received. Not bad for the first entry!
I learned important things during my Fashion Display Judging Experience which will improve my chance to make this ensemble an Award of Excellence display.
- The first thing is the quality of my documentation. While I did include references and documentation for the Major Garment, hat, shoes, and purse; I did not include detailed documentation on the toe box of the shoe. This attention to detail could have increased my score. In retrospect, I could have included specific documentation about the crochet sweater I used as the outer garment. There are many articles about yarns, color of yarns, and the styles used in the Model A years which would have supported my choice for the outer garment.
- Ask if you can have an assistant or second person to help you set up the display. The other entrants had an assistant to help them set up their display. I did not, so I felt rushed and needed an extra hand.
- Take a deep breath and have fun with your Model A Era Fashion. I will enter Fashion Display Judging in the future. I had fun, learned a great deal, and so enjoyed being in a room with women who were enthusiastic about Model A Era Fashion.
