LARNED — The Pawnee County Fair celebrates 25 years this year, officially opening Wednesday, July 25, and running through Sunday, July 28. Wednesday night the 4-H Style Revue, one of the pre-fair events, was held, the theme this year: “Bold Stripes and Bright Stars.”
The fashion revue consists of two divisions, construction and buymanship. Both offer young people an opportunity to get creative, showcase their attention to detail and use their critical thinking skills, as well as learn the basics of presentation and modeling. Pawnee County Extension Agent Donna Preisner noted that while the project still tends to be dominated by girls, there has been an encouraging uptick in participation by boys, which she hopes is a continuing trend. There were also more entries in the construction division, which after dwindling in recent years, is a pleasant surprise.
“Perhaps they are seeing their parents or grandparents making something, and they want to be creative and make something too,” Preisner said.
Clothing construction takes a lot of planning and effort, and definitely not a project that provides instant gratification. But, when young people complete their garment and try it on and it fits, they take a lot of price wearing it, she added.
Rompers and dresses were popular this year, but pajama bottoms and tops were returning favorites.
For those who weren’t ready to dive into constructing a garment, pillows are always a great starter project, and there will be many on display at the fair, Preisner said. One noteworthy entry is the denim pillow one girl made from a jacket. Quilting is also well represented amongst the 4-H entries.
Buymanship is about planning not only an outfit, but also considering all the occasions it can be utilized, paying attention to quality of workmanship, and determining potential cost per wear to make the most economical purchasing decision possible. Outfits range from dressy prom attire to vacation wear to school clothes. There is no requirement the garments be purchased new, allowing for elements to come from the owner’s existing closet inventory or from a second-hand store. With fewer quality local clothing stores nearby, having the opportunity to try a garment on for fit and examine workmanship before purchasing is becoming a thing of the past. Buymanship, therefore, is changing with the times as many entrants purchased their outfits online this year, Preisner said.
“Our judge commented entrants should be sure to check return policies on their purchases before buying online,” Preisner said.
Good advice for all.