Exhibition on Saaremaa features half-century-old clothing nostalgia
Last weekend, a unique exhibition at Tõnnu farm café in Siiksaare village on Saaremaa displayed hundreds of clothing items from 50 years ago, mostly new with original price tags.
Visitors to the Tõnnu farm café in Siiksaare, Saaremaa, were treated to a nostalgic journey last weekend as hundreds of garments from half a century ago were hung on clotheslines. The majority of the items were brand new, still bearing their original price tags.
Organizers Annika Reinø and Kristel Paomees explained that the collection came from three women from Siiksaare. Two of them have passed away, while one, now living in a nursing home, contributed the largest portion: 170 shawls and about 100 dresses.
One tag read: "Clementi production, Tallinn, size 56, fourth height, price 6 rubles 30 kopecks, made in December 1977."
Paomees recalled that during the Soviet era of shortages, clothes were worn until they could be used no more – sports trousers were worn in fields and farms and eventually turned into floor rags.
Fashion, however, repeats itself. The organizers noted that such clothing would not look out of place in Kuressaare today. They themselves wore dresses reminiscent of the era, as if stepping back 50 years.
The organizers hinted that on future home café days, they might hang the clothes again, as there are likely more items that didn't make it to the line this time.
