Back to Black Exhibition

Explore the various meanings of black across a century of fashion, from mourning a loved one and the chic elegance of the little black dress, at Old Government House's new exhibition Back to Black.

Wearing black is laden with cultural meaning, from suggesting chic elegance to mourning a loved one. This exhibition explores black’s different meanings in the past, while offering visitors the opportunity to reflect on their own relationship to wearing black in the present.

Historically most often associated with mourning, black was also a special-occasion selection for formal wear, receiving visitors, or for going out on the town. The fashion for black in the 1890s morphed into the little black dress from the 1920s flapper era to the 1950s New Look. Black has been an enduring staple of a fashionable wardrobe ever since.

Black clothing has also been adopted to express authority or to subvert and challenge it. The careful choice of colour in dress can make statements about class and gender, power and privilege, group affiliations and particularly subcultures, or be used to signal emotion.

From the National Trust’s dress collection, objects on display span more than 100 years. They include well-known designers – both Australian and international – alongside examples made in the home or by unknown, skilled dressmakers.