Ceredigion Museum's fashion through the ages exhibition

Women on Aberystwyth promenade in the 1950s

An exhibition of women's fashion through the ages has opened at Ceredigion Museum.

The show in Aberystwyth also looks at the social role of women over time.

It concentrates on fashion worn from 1850 to 1970 and how clothing was "dictated by the upper and middle class in society".

Collections officer Andrea De Rome said: "Now we accept that different styles and interpretations are normal, but that has not always been the case."

Women on Aberystwyth beach during the Edwardian period

She said for many years, a woman's style was also defined by whether she was a wife, a widow or single.

"At the French court in the 17th Century women painted on beauty spots in different places depending on their marital status," Ms De Rome said.

"Today, fashion can be whatever you want it to be. Women's shapes and clothing have endured so many changes.

"Today, femininity comes down to personal preference."

Victorian fashion

Example of 1960s fashion