The Suffragette movement fought for women’s rights and political change, specifically advocating for women to gain the right to vote. They were organised like a business and used their feminine skills to promote and raise money for their cause.

To raise brand awareness, they realised that advertising on merchandise such as soap, cards, and coloured iced cakes would help spread their message. They used fashion as a tool, choosing to wear the colours adopted by the movement to show their allegiance to the cause. Although the women involved were revolutionaries, social etiquette remained important, and they hosted many formal tea parties as a way to fundraise.

Suffragettes & Edwardian Britain
The Suffragettes were part of Edwardian Britain, an era of elegance, exuberance, and beauty. Conversation was polite, etiquette was upheld as the standard, and afternoon luncheons were dainty. Ladies wrote diaries, sent letters, and received messages of love.

It was the golden age of lavish balls, splendid banquets, and extravagant clothing. High-society hostesses would only be seen wearing the latest Paris fashions, silk-draped dresses, luxurious coats, diamonds, and pearls, looking their best for a day at the races or a country picnic.

Edwardian women enjoyed romantic poems celebrating the changing seasons in the countryside while simultaneously promoting revolution and social change, crying, ‘Equal rights and votes for women!’.

To find out more about the lives of Edwardian Women see book’s and catalogues below:
- Atkinson Diane, Published New York : Fairchild ; Oxford : Berg [distributor] 2008
- The Purple, white & green : suffragettes in London 1906-14
- Di Marco, Sally; Draping basic, Fairchild, 2010, Museum of London, 1992.
- Grimble Frances, The Edwardian modiste: 85 authentic patterns with instructions, fashion plates, and period sewing techniques, Holden E, San Francisco, CA: Lavolta Press 1997
- The country diary of an Edwardian Lady: a facsimile reproduction of a naturalist’s diary for the year 1871-1920: Joseph: Webb and Bower 1977.
- Marlow Joyce,Votes for women : The Virago book of suffragettes 1929 Rawsthorne Barbara,Virago,2000.
- Diary of an Edwardian Childhood, Opie Robert, Rossendale Borough Council, 1995.
- The Edwardian scrapbook, Articles: Pi Global 2002, 2004.
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