Pat being dressed by Sarah Morgan for The Later Life Fashion Show |
We met Pat when she came to Artichoke with Sarah Morgan having volunteered to be a model in The Later Life Show. Within minutes of meeting her it became very obvious that Pat was a very special lady who lives life to the full. She has very kindly agreed to be the guinea pig in this the first of our series about Norfolk Fashionistas.
When
we first met you mentioned that you source the costumes for many Norfolk
operatic societies. How did you end up doing this?
I got into singing at school, something I found I was good
at, and later when the local operatic group wanted
young members I signed up. I was slightly reluctant being a bit of a shrinking
violet, but once I had been up on that Stage I was hooked, the rest as they say
is history. I have been singing in operas ever since. including all the grand ones Like Madam
Butterfly and Faust but since 2000 I have also been singing Gilbert and
Sullivan with The The East Norfolk Operatic Society.
Pat as The Duchess of Plaza Torro in Gondoliers |
Having also learnt to sew at school I was in demand to help
with costume. This I found fascinating espcially as it gave me the opportunity to learn about period, style and colour.
Do
you have a favourite opera?
I don't have a favourite. I enjoy everything about
performance and will gladly sing anything.
What
are you working on now?
Selecting costumes |
I
understand that you are also a keen sailor.
I learned to sail at
school, and my Husband who is a Norfolk boy is also a keen sailor. Our first joint purchase was an Enterprise sailing dinghy ( no house to live
in, but a boat) which we raced throughout the 70's and 80's attending all the east anglian open meetings.
Which
club do you belong to? What sort of boat do you sail?
We belong to The Norwich Frostbites Sailing club and have been The Commodore and his Lady three times. In our time have had Norfolk
Dinghies and a Yeoman keel boat and we both sail Lasers ( single hander boats)
in Greece where we go to sail fairly regularly. We also now have a Aquafibre
Opel broads motor cruiser for more relaxed time on the water.
How would you describe your style?
How would you describe your style?
My lifestyle does not warrant
chic or really smart clothes because I'm usually grovelling round backstage or
under boats, but I do like smart tops with my trousers and floaty skirts.
What
is the favourite piece in your wardrobe
The dress I like best at the moment is a Next sundress I bought last year, which makes me feel very glam.
The dress I like best at the moment is a Next sundress I bought last year, which makes me feel very glam.
What
was the last item you bought?
My most recent purchase is a pair of red Anna Montana 7/8s that I got from Artichoke. They are so great - I love them.
The
big question now is to grey or not to grey? Your hair is amazing – What made you decide to stick to your natural hair colour and was it a decision lightly made?
Until I was 65 I had no grey. It must be in the genes as my
sister is the same - people would not believe we didn't colour our hair. As the first
white threads appeared I went blonder to disguise it but the summer before last
I thought what the hec and stopped, so now you see I am decidedly
going grey.
....and that is the fabby & super stylish Pat Tegerdine.
If you know of someone that has their own innate sense of style as well as a great love of life and would like to nominate them as a Norfolk Fashionista please email us at sales@artichokecollection.co.uk