In every woman’s wardrobe, the little black dress is a fashion icon. From Queen Victoria to Audrey Hepburn, the LBD has been a fashion staple for women through the ages.

North Down Museum’s Little Black Dress exhibition is opening on 29 November and will explore this fashion favourite and how it has evolved through history.

Come along and see a variety of shapes and styles from the decades of the 20^th century from flappers to mini-dresses alongside pieces on loan from local women as well as Down County Museum.

On display will be a dress that belonged to Emily Ann Rebeck from Kildare who died in 1914. The gorgeous black velvet Edwardian evening gown is fully-lined, fastens at the front with hooks and eyes and has a train at the back.

Earlier in the year, the Museum made a call to women across Ards and North Down to lend their own little black dresses.  There was a fantastic response and the exhibition includes these local garments, each with their own story attached.

Speaking about the exhibition, North Down Museum’s Manager Heather McGuicken said: “This is a fun exhibition just in time to get you ready for the Christmas party season!  We have dresses from across the decades showing the rise of the little black dress from an item worn for mourning purposes only to the staple item that every woman has in her wardrobe’.

The Little Black Dress Exhibition opens on 29 November and runs until 18 March – admission is free. For more information visit www.northdownmuseum.com