The Vintage Fashion Museum at Beaux Souvenirs: A Hidden Gem in the Dordogne
When people think of fashion museums in France, Paris springs immediately to mind. What very few people realise is that tucked away in a quiet village in the Périgord Vert, there is something genuinely rare: a private vintage fashion museum that you won't find listed in any mainstream guidebook, attached to an adults-only gîte with a private pool. The museum is open to guests and pre-booked visitors alike.
I'm Vanessa Howard, co-owner of Beaux Souvenirs in Mialet and the museum is ours. We created it, we curate it, but I personally lead every tour. This is the story of how it came to be - and why, whether you're staying with us or simply passing through the Dordogne, it might be one of the most unexpectedly absorbing hours you spend in France.
How It Began
My passion for vintage fashion started in the 1980s, when I discovered a delicate pink Edwardian blouse in an Essex antique shop. Something about holding that piece - the fineness of the fabric, the tiny pearl buttons, the thought of the woman who had worn it - stopped me in my tracks. I was hooked from that moment.
What began as a personal passion gradually became something more serious. William and I opened our own vintage boutique, The Eye of Time, in Clare, on the Essex and Suffolk border. Our clients included the BBC costume department, for whom we sourced authentic pieces for television productions such as Call the Midwife. Every piece that came through our hands had a story, and I became increasingly fascinated not just by the clothes themselves but by what they revealed about the women who wore them - their lives, their constraints, their moments of joy and self-expression.
When we moved to France and found Beaux Souvenirs, we knew we had found the perfect home for our growing collection. Using William's considerable carpentry skills, we converted an outbuilding into a dedicated museum space - a warm, intimate environment rather than a formal exhibition hall, designed for conversation and discovery rather than just looking and reading information cards.
What the Museum Contains
The collection traces the evolution of 20th-century women's fashion decade by decade, from the beginning of 1900 through to the bold styles of the late 20th century - and the social history woven through each era is as fascinating as the clothes themselves.
We begin with the Edwardian period - the extraordinary construction of those early garments, the constraints they imposed, and the first tentative signs of change as women began to push back against them. From there, the First World War transformed everything: fabric shortages, women entering the workforce, and the beginning of a silhouette that would have been unthinkable a decade earlier.
The 1920s brought the Flappers - the exhilaration of jazz, short hemlines, and Coco Chanel's early revolutionary work. The 1930s shift into Art Deco glamour and the bias-cut gown. The Second World War introduced the CC41 utility scheme - one of the details that consistently surprises visitors, who rarely realise quite how rigorously clothing was rationed and regulated during those years.
Then comes Dior's New Look of 1947 - one of the most dramatic single moments in fashion history, a deliberate and joyful rejection of wartime austerity that caused genuine controversy at the time. From there, we move through the 1950s and 60s boutique explosion - Biba, Mary Quant, the youthquake - into the 1970s and the bold, unapologetic power dressing of the 1980s.
Every piece in the museum has been personally selected and is accompanied by the social and historical context that brings it alive. Guests frequently tell us they arrive thinking they're not particularly interested in fashion and leave two hours later, having discovered they were fascinated all along. Men as much as women - the social history angle speaks to everyone.
The Tour Experience
Tours are led personally by me and are completely private - just you and your party. There are no other visitors, no guided groups to keep pace with, no roped-off displays you can't get close to. You can handle pieces, ask questions, and follow the threads that interest you most.
I bring each era to life not just through the clothes but through the stories behind them - the women who wore them, the world they were navigating, and the ways in which what they chose to put on their bodies reflected or resisted the times they lived in. Some of those stories are funny. Some are quietly moving. All of them, I think, are worth knowing.
Tours typically run for around 90 minutes, though they often stretch longer. We always start with a glass of something cold - a tradition that started with our very first guests and has never stopped.
For staying guests, the tour is complimentary and arranged at a time that suits you during your stay. Just let us know when you book or when you arrive, and give us 24 hours' notice!
For day visitors, we warmly welcome visits by appointment. Several people have found us simply by searching for vintage fashion experiences in the Dordogne - you are very welcome to come without staying, and we'd love to show you around. Please get in touch to arrange a convenient time.
Vintage Fashion in the Dordogne: More Than Just the Museum
If vintage is your passion, the Dordogne rewards you beyond our own walls. The region's brocantes and vide greniers - informal antique and vintage markets that appear regularly throughout the season - are wonderful hunting grounds for textile and fashion finds. We always keep our guests updated on what's happening locally during their stay, and our North Dordogne antiques and brocantes guide is a good starting point for planning.
And if you're looking for a reason to time your visit for late August specifically - read on.
Périgueux Vintage Days: The Number One Vintage Event in France
Just 53 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs, the city of Périgueux hosts Vintage Days every summer - and this is no ordinary event. Now in its 11th year and recommended by the Petit Futé guide, it is officially the number-one vintage event in France and the number-one event in any category in the Dordogne.
The 2026 edition takes place over three full days: Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, transforming Boulevard Montaigne and the surrounding streets into a glorious celebration of all things retro. Visitors and participants dress in costumes from the 1930s to the 1970s, there's a spectacular vehicle parade, a fashion parade, live music, dancing, photo sessions, and an atmosphere that genuinely transports you back several decades.
For anyone who loves vintage - whether that's fashion, cars, music, or simply the aesthetics of a more glamorous era - this is a weekend that delivers everything at once. Combining it with a stay at Beaux Souvenirs and a private tour of the fashion museum makes for a late-summer trip with a very clear and very appealing theme.
Why not check whether we have availability for a week that includes the Vintage Days weekend — it could be the perfect centrepiece for a late-summer Dordogne stay. Follow Périgueux Vintage Days on Facebook for the full 2026 programme, and check our Dordogne festivals and events calendar for everything else happening during your stay.
The Vintage Collection Boutique
Before you leave, it's worth knowing that alongside the museum, we also have The Vintage Collection at Beaux Souvenirs - a carefully curated selection of over 600 pieces available to browse and purchase, spanning from the 1920s to the 2000s. Daywear, evening pieces, and accessories, including designs by Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Mugler, and Alexander McQueen. If something catches your eye during your museum tour, you may find yourself leaving with a little piece of fashion history as well as the memories. Day visitors are equally welcome to browse the boutique after their museum visit.
A Hidden Gem - But Not for Much Longer
To the best of my knowledge, there is no other gîte in France with an on-site vintage fashion museum. That still surprises me, given how much there is to say about 20th-century fashion and how universally the stories seem to resonate with people. But for now, it remains one of the Dordogne's better-kept secrets - and one we're rather proud to share.
Whether you're planning a stay, a day visit, or simply curious about what a vintage fashion museum looks like in a converted outbuilding in the Périgord Vert, we'd love to hear from you.
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