Anyone for a Noel Edmonds' T-shirt or Lisa Faulkner's LBD? Changing faces and fashions from 100 years of Kays catalogue

Last updated at 10:35 AM on 28th July 2011

Knitted bikinis, trouserless crimplene jump-suits and £4.99 T-shirts designed by Britain's very own Noel Edmonds - we really were a nation with an eye for fashion.

As these models from the famous Kays mail-order catalogue show, clothing in Britain has come a long way from made-to-measure overalls for engineers in the 1920s - by 2000 we were sporting ponchos and leopard print like they were literally going out of fashion.

And in between? Well, there were velour tracksuits, floral skirts, prom dresses and in 1957 children appeared to be dressing in the same outfits as their mothers.

Shirts by Noel Edmonds? Yes, they really were sought after during the 1980s - and for £4.99 that's 'super value'

Dungarees - they will stand washing many times according to the catalogue advertising clothes for engineers

Function not fashion: Dungarees - they will stand washing many times according to the catalogue advertising made-to-measure workwear for engineers in the 1920s

The extracts from the catalogue over the past 100 years have been released as part of a 'Cataloging Kays' project by the University of Worcester which will turn the photos and sketches dating back almost to the Victorian era into 1,500 digital images.

Their aim is to show how fashion and lifestyle taste have changed over the decades - and give shoppers a glimpse into the changing face of Britain's wardrobe.

Project manager Jenni Waugh said the Kay's story is important because the catalogues were aimed at 'working people, not glamour goddesses'.

Stylish: Is that really a beige trouser-less jump suit? Hot looks for summer getaways in the 1970s included knitted bikinis, tight white trousers and a jacket made from 'washable suede'

In 2000 Eastenders star Michelle Collins showed shoppers it was all about leopard print teamed with black - even it it was a poncho - topped off with red lipstick

Racy: In 2000 Eastenders star Michelle Collins showed shoppers it was all about leopard print teamed with black - even it it was a poncho - topped off with red lipstick

She said: 'We want people to look at the images and to tell us what they remember of the outfits.

'Frankly some of the outfits are so bizarre that I can't imagine anyone wearing them, but I bet there's someone out there who did.'

Nevertheless, celebrity models did appear in the catalogues in years gone by, including Anita Harris, Coronation Street legend Pat Phoenix and Changing Rooms presenter Carole Smillie.

Anita Harris used her fame in 1972 to model this collection of black and brown dresses which could have been snapped up for as little as £6.95 - bargain!

Big names: Actress and singer Anita Harris used her fame in 1972 to model this collection of black and brown dresses which could have been snapped up for as little as £6.95 - bargain!

Floral skirts and pretty blouses were all the rage for women in the 1940s

Demure: Floral skirts - below the knee of course - and pretty blouses with high necks were all the rage when the nation was at war in the 1940s

Kays began in 1880s in Worcester, where it stayed for more than 100 years.

It marketed contemporary fashions, household items and luxury goods and was the city's biggest employer until it relocated to Liverpool in 2007.

In the days before the internet, millions of families did their shopping by browsing the often-enormous mail order catalogues which thumped through their letterboxes.

The swinging 60s provided a chance for ladies to bare some flesh in this range of blue and red bikins

Hello boys: The swinging 60s provided a chance for ladies to bare some flesh in this range of bright blue and red bikins as fashion began to relax the rules

In 2000 actress Lisa Faulkner showed shoppers how to wear black and pink - including skirts over trousers

Millennium trends: Just eleven years ago in 2000 actress Lisa Faulkner showed shoppers how to wear black and pink - including skirts over trousers

They entered their choices on slips and posted off their cheques.

Catriona Smellie, Curator of the George Marshal Medical Museum, said 'Kays was a hugely important part of Worcester's history and many people in the city, and beyond, will have memories of either working there, or shopping through the catalogues. This project aims to bring together those memories in one place.'

The Kays Collection is currently housed at the University of Worcester.

1980s saw velour being snapped up by shoppers - including velour tracksuits and jumpers described by the catalogue as 'Winning ways in smooth velour'

Smooth: 1980s saw velour being snapped up by shoppers - including velour tracksuits worn with heels - and jumpers described by the catalogue as 'Winning ways in smooth velour'

Party time: These really were the belles of the ball in the 1960s as prom-style dresses hit the dress racks and having a good time was the name of the game

Contained in the collection is almost a full set of mail order catalogues, photographs, company accounts, ledgers, reports and minutes from boardroom meetings.

Rachel Johnson, research librarian at the University, said 'The collection is available for people to come and see, but we want to make it more accessible.
'By creating a web-archive, people can browse the collection from the comfort of their own homes and share their own memories.'

The project has received a £55,500 grant from JISC, an organisation which inspires UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies.

The digital archive, to be created by a team from the University and the George Marshall Medical Museum, will focus on fashion and body image. It will give members of the public a chance to view photographs of the collection of catalogues as well as the opportunity to upload their own photographs, stories and opinions of Kays Catalogue.