From this past Saturday, December 16 until next February 10, 2024 you can enjoy the exhibition 'Dressing the white clothes: a look inside' at La Casa Amarilla, an exhibition organized by the Folklore Group 'Malpaís de La Corona' and curated by Ricardo Reguera, one of the greatest experts in Lanzarote and the Canary Islands in traditional clothing.
'Dressing the white clothes: a look inside' is dedicated to one of the least studied aspects of secular clothing: lingerie and underwear. The exhibition compiles and displays interesting information about the so-called white clothes, such as materials, techniques, tools, looms or shapes, but also analyzes the origins and context of the garments used by our grandparents in their privacy.
The exhibition takes a tour through the entire process of making the garments, starting from the materials that were used, mainly cotton and linen, the treatment that was applied to the fabrics, the warps that were used in the different pieces, the dyes used, the accessories,...
In addition, the exhibition analyzes the historical evolution of the garments, the influences received from abroad, their relationship with the rest of the Canary Islands or with other European or Latin American cultures.
A total of 150 garments from Lanzarote
The exhibition contains a total of 150 garments, including complete garments and accessories, all from Lanzarote. In addition, all the materials with which they are made also come from the island. There are original examples of perfectly preserved old garments, such as the three examples of the oldest preserved Lanzarote shirts, but also current reproductions of garments that have already disappeared.
In the opinion of Ricardo Reguera himself, this is a "very interesting exhibition, of a historical nature, since it allows us to trace the evolutionary path of clothing, but also of a didactic nature. 'Dressing the white clothes' helps us to "discover the privacy and intimacy of our ancestors." Although that, at first, may seem trivial, the truth is that underwear provides us with "historical information about the tastes, social status or sensitivity of our ancestors, among many other aspects..."
For her part, the president of the A. F. Malpaís de La Corona, Luz María Rodríguez, stated at the opening ceremony that it is a "pride" for the association that she chairs to have been able to develop this project together with Ricardo Reguera and with the support of different departments of the Cabildo of Lanzarote. "It is a long-awaited project that Malpaís was eager to carry out. In the association we care a lot about music, lyrics, dances or interpretations, but we also consider it essential to care for and preserve traditions in terms of traditional clothing and garments."
In turn, the councilor of the Data Center of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Ascensión Toledo, stated that "this is a totally necessary exhibition. It collects a little explored part of our past and our popular culture but that, even being a cultural aspect reserved for intimacy and privacy, always provides interesting information for historians and researchers. And not only for them, since it allows all the inhabitants of Lanzarote to know and better understand our recent history and to know the tastes and sensitivities of other times," Toledo concluded.
The exhibition will remain open until February 10, 2024, admission is free, it is suitable for all audiences and the opening hours to the public are: Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Sundays and holidays it will be closed.
There will be guided tours every Saturday with the curator of the exhibition, Ricardo Reguera. Registration is free and to reserve a place you have to call La Casa Amarilla on the phone 928 810 100 (ext 3003).
