WOMEN’S fashion through the ages will be showcased at a York fundraising event.

From Empire-line to A-line, taking in bustles and bodices, overcoats and underpinnings, 200 years of fashion will be revealed in a talk at the first Ladies’ Lunch in aid of St Leonard’s Hospice on Thursday March 17, at the York Marriott Hotel.

Fashion history expert Lynn Hopwood will be the after-lunch speaker, bringing with her a selection of clothes from her collection of more than 4,000 gowns and accessories. She will talk about the changes of fashion, and how the dresses were made – mostly by hand – between about 1800 and the 1940s.

The Ladies’ Lunch, which will start at noon for 12.45pm, will give guests the chance to look at Lynn’s costumes, as well as enjoy a welcome drink and a three-course lunch. Everyone who attends will also be presented with a gift bag from Crabtree & Evelyn.

Tickets for the Ladies’ Lunch cost £25 and are available either individually or in tables of ten. For more details and bookings, phone the hospice fundraising centre on 01904 777777.