In 1943 Carmen Miranda made waves with her fruit cap piled high with berries and bananas in the musical The Gang’s All Here and it late became her trademark costume. While the sort of hat she wore in the 1940s-50s was impractical for everyday use, it certainly made a statement. The idea of fruit as a fashion look certainly remained in the public imagination for many years after the iconic performer hung up her microphone.

In 1963 one English fashion designer took the look to usual new heights, creating dresses and hats that took the shape of various fruits and vegetables he found at the local market. Charles William Davis in the 1960s was sketching fruit and then making garments to match the textures and shapes he saw in the fruit stalls. A pineapple dress, mushroom cap, and lemon beehive hat all use extremely inventive silhouettes to make a statement. Have a look at the British Pathé newsreel on this enchanting line of the clothing in the video below.

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