In the 19th and 20th Centuries, menswear was manufactured in New Zealand and the studio has a growing selection of jackets, trousers and suits. There are gaps though in the research collection.

Menswear is generally not collected as much as women’s. As styles go out of fashion, old pieces are sent to charity shops. discarded, or re-purposed. There are still some interesting pieces out there though and the studio is now collecting men’s garments that were created in Aotearoa in order to build up a unique and compelling history of the styling of men.

We are looking for pieces that relate to the West Coast particularly, and/ or garments and items that are made from wool, such as the Hardy Amies jacket in the image at the top of this page. (This particular jacket was made by Cambridge Clothing Company in the 1960s under licence to the British designer.) The items can have been made on the Coast, or bought here but made elsewhere in New Zealand. They could be military outfits, or casual wear, jumpers, coats, trousers or jackets. Anything that was made by Messengers, the man’s shop in Greymouth, or Alf Harrison, another shop in town, would be a very valuable addition to the studio pieces.

If you think you have something in your cupboard that is no longer worn and needs to find a new home, please consider the studio collection. All you need to do is send a photograph and some information. A picture of the label in the piece is always useful. If you live in Greymouth or nearby please feel free to bring the garment along to the studio – open 1 to 3 weekdays – and have a chat.