In fine style

I had another opportunity to see ‘In fine style’ last week at the Queens’s Gallery in Edinburgh. It was interesting seeing it in a different, more intimate, venue (I saw it at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace originally) and also with fewer people around as we had a private view of the exhibition in Scotland. As before, the lace and costumes were stunning and it was nice to have the time and space to examine them closely. The focus in this Scottish setting was on the Stuart dynasty. Among many things, I admired the lace cloak band adjacent to the famous van Dyck portrait of Charles I showing the king from three angles and tried to decide whether it was the same one as depicted in the portrait; it is certainly very similar. I was also intrigued by the fashion for ladies at Charles II’s court to dress as men – very confusing for later historians.