Transformation: one man’s cross-dressing wardrobe (at Sudley)

Born in Surrey in 1926, Peter Farrer lived in Liverpool for many years. Sadly, he passed away in early 2017 aged 90. 

Peter began cross-dressing at the age of 14 and his interest in women’s period costume led him to collect extensively. Over the years he accumulated a huge number of garments, particularly evening dresses made between the 1930s and the 1980s. 

Peter was especially interested in dresses made from taffeta, a crisp lightweight fabric that makes a distinctive rustle when the wearer moves. He had a wardrobe of taffeta dresses made that he wore at home, created for him by the Brighton-based dressmaker Sandi Steyning, owner of the Kentucky Woman Clothing Company. 

This ground-breaking display featured 21 garments from Peter’s historic and modern collection of cross-dressing clothes.

Image © Ben Whyman, courtesy of Pauline Rushton, the National Museums Liverpool.