Unlacing the Lady

It’s true! Barbara Malta portrays a proper woman of the 1800s in a one-woman presentation entitled “Unlacing the Lady.”  One by one, her fine period clothing and undergarments were stripped away while Barbara explained their meaning and importance with quick wit and informative anecdotes. What does a lady of that era wear? Why did she carry smelling salts with her? What were the “norms” of the day? What was her life like?

Pat Rutledge, Chief Executive Officer of the Marco Island Historical Society, welcomed guests to the afternoon tea and introduced the program, thanking sponsors and MIHS supporters. She introduced Betsy Perdichizzi, who was instrumental in the building of the museum on Marco Island. Guests could get tickets for a raffle featuring fine porcelain teacups with matching saucers, which Barbara presented to the winner. There was also a basket that included a necklace that was also raffled. 

The afternoon tea included a delightful and delectable selection of savory plates of finger sandwiches and a variety of sweets for dessert. While tea was served, Barbara told a story of women of the day serving tea in their homes and what the consequences were if the host was upset with one of her guests. Proper Victorian women were socialized not to express anger or dislike when she was upset, but she could politely and pointedly send a message while lovingly serving them tea. Everyone at the tea party would know exactly who she was upset with, all without a single angry word spoken.

Barbara wove into her presentation about Victorian clothing that even women with their own wealth rarely carried money, and if in the rare occasion of shopping without her husband, a shopkeeper may approach her politely to tell her she was spending more than her husband allotted. The presentation was humorous and left every woman in attendance happy they didn’t live in that era.

The period fashions on stage were described in detail from fingerless lace gloves to removable sets of sleeves that went from the wrist to the elbow of a woman’s dress. Describing the various sizes of hoops worn under their skirts, Barbara explained how many skirts consisted of six to eight yards of fabric. Plenty of material to reduce or expand as a lady’s physique required. When Barbara stripped down to the corset, she demonstrated how it really took two people to tighten and reduce the waistline. Too tight and a lady may need some of those smelling salts and the infamous fainting couch.

Barbara conceived “Unlacing the Lady” during her early days as a Civil War reenactor. At encampments she demonstrated, tatting lace, hand stitching quilts, rolling bandages, and preparing dishes that were typically served to the troops during the war. Ladies visiting her exhibit would comment on her activities, but their curiosity would get the best of them and many would eventually work up the nerve finally asking, “Are you wearing a corset?” And thus, Unlacing the Lady was born.

The audience enjoyed the performance and found it enlightening.