County women set for TV fashion show

Long satin gowns, diamante accessories and hats are the way forward if you're a country lady, but twin sets, pearls and floral skirts are a definite no no.

Shorter dresses are permissible, boots are fine and even trousers are suitable, as long as you don your better pairs for an evening out or a glamorous event, according to Shropshire's own fashion experts.

The group of country ladies, from Ellesmere has dressed up to the nines and spent the day at a garden party with television fashion gurus Trinny and Susannah.

The snappy dressers, from Ellesmere Ladies Circle, will be glued to their television screens on Tuesday to see whether footage of them in their finery is included in the first episode of Trinny and Susannah Meet Their Match.

The series follows the fashion experts as they show women from all walks of life how to dress to impress, and the first programme, Country Ladies, focuses on giving a vicar and a parish councillor a style revamp.

Carole Main, from the group, explained the women were invited to take part in the filming in Pirbright, Surrey, but were told to dress for a majestic village garden party.

She said 11 women travelled down in July and took part in a day long session, where Trinny and Susannah examined the dress code for country life.

"They dressed these two women up and they looked gorgeous, and Trinny and Susannah themselves were really affable, they were lovely.

"It was really fun, it was a good day out.

"Trinny and Susannah dressed in floral skirts and two pieces like the two country women normally would and they looked awful, but we didn't look like that at all, we were really smart and some of us wore hats."

Mrs Main said the group had enjoyed dressing up for the day, and had worn similar outfits to what they would wear for a day at the races.

The programme will be broadcast on ITV at 8pm on Tuesday evening.

By Abigail Bates nextpage

Carole Main and Beverley Wrisdale of Ellesmere Ladies Circle get ready for the garden party and their meeting with Trinny and Susannah. Pictures by Peter Flemmich. nextpage

Some of the ladies at the garden party for the TV programme

Alma Ellis and chairman Helen Richardson get readynextpage

Julia Williams and Rachel Mewett dress in their best nextpage

Back: Rachel Mewett and Julia Williams; middle: Beverley Wrisdale and Kay Egerton; front: Helen Richardson Carole Main and Alma Ellis