Cannons and muskets and soldiers are a fine way to commemorate the War of 1812, but if you’re looking for something a bit less, explodey, then the Fort Erie Historical Museum might just have exactly what you’re looking for with its upcoming Fashion of 1812 runway show.

The museum has teamed up with the Bowen Road Women’s Institute to showcase a slice of Fort Erie life 200 years ago – what kinds of clothing the average man, woman and child were wearing.

A group of more than twenty-five volunteers will model historical fashions from Fort Erie Historical Museum’s collection in two shows taking place Saturday April 28 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at People’s Memorial United Church in Ridgeway.

The models, including Ward 1 Coun. Stephen Passero and former mayor Wayne Redekop, will be wearing everyday fashions of the average 1812 Fort Erie resident, as well as clothing for formal occasions such as balls.

“We want to show everything, from what they’d wear to work everyday right through to what they’d wear to a fancy party,” said Beverley Jewson, secretary of the Bowen Road Women’s Institute.

“We came into contact with Joyce Capern, who for 22 years now has been making all these beautiful period costumes for re-enactors and such, and when I saw the huge wardrobe I just thought we had to do fashion show,” she said.

The fashion show will combine entertainment, including period music, with education, offering information and insight about both the styles of clothing and the lives of people living in our Town 200 years ago.

The fashions of the time, often inspired by French Empress Josephine, have been made famous by Jane Austen and her novels.

The first show starts at the People’s Memorial United Church at 2 p.m. on April 28 with a 7:30 p.m. evening show later that night.

Tickets are $7 and a limited number are available for both afternoon and evening shows. Contact the museum (call 905-894-5322 or email museum@foterie.on.ca) to reserve one.

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