Clothing & Accessories

Work, play, fashion, economic class, religious faith, even politics—all these aspects of American life and more are woven into clothing. The Museum cares for one of the nation's foremost collections of men's, women's, and children's garments and accessories—from wedding gowns and military uniforms to Halloween costumes and bathing suits.

The collections include work uniforms, academic gowns, clothing of presidents and first ladies, T-shirts bearing protest slogans, and a clean-room "bunny suit" from a manufacturer of computer microchips. Beyond garments, the collections encompass jewelry, handbags, hair dryers, dress forms, hatboxes, suitcases, salesmen's samples, and thousands of fashion prints, photographs, and original illustrations. The more than 30,000 artifacts here represent the changing appearance of Americans from the 1700s to the present day.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1820 - 1824
ID Number
CS.006746
catalog number
006746
accession number
28840
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1815 - 1825
ID Number
CS.006630
catalog number
006630
accession number
28810
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1780 - 1800
ID Number
CS.006641
catalog number
006641
accession number
28810
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1810 - 1820
ID Number
CS.006610D
catalog number
006610D
accession number
28810
This is a bakelite bowtie brooch made between 1930-1940. Bakelite jewelry reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s as an inexpensive form of costume jewelry. Dr.
Description
This is a bakelite bowtie brooch made between 1930-1940. Bakelite jewelry reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s as an inexpensive form of costume jewelry. Dr. Leo Bakeland patented bakelite in 1907 and it caught on quickly because it could be molded into many shapes while also being very lightweight and durable. Bakelite lost favor during WWII and became nearly obsolete in the post-war period due to the rise of other more flexible plastics.
date made
1930-1940
used by
Sieverts, June Ayres Lane
ID Number
1996.0038.021
catalog number
1996.0038.021
accession number
1996.0038
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1790 - 1810
ID Number
CS.006700B
catalog number
006700B
accession number
28810
This is a pair of early 1800s, men’s white leather gloves. Gloves were an integral part of men’s dress during the 1800s. Men could wear colored gloves during the day, but white gloves were the only color acceptable to wear with evening attire.
Description
This is a pair of early 1800s, men’s white leather gloves. Gloves were an integral part of men’s dress during the 1800s. Men could wear colored gloves during the day, but white gloves were the only color acceptable to wear with evening attire.
date made
1769
ID Number
CS.006740
catalog number
006740
accession number
28810
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1785 - 1795
ID Number
CS.006550A
catalog number
006550A
accession number
28810
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1974
wearer
Hashim, Debra Anne
ID Number
2015.0022.01
catalog number
2015.0022.01
accession number
2015.0022
This is a bakelite bowtie brooch made between 1930-1940. Bakelite jewelry reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s as an inexpensive form of costume jewelry. Dr.
Description
This is a bakelite bowtie brooch made between 1930-1940. Bakelite jewelry reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s as an inexpensive form of costume jewelry. Dr. Leo Bakeland patented bakelite in 1907 and it caught on quickly because it could be molded into many shapes while also being very lightweight and durable. Bakelite lost favor during WWII and became nearly obsolete in the post-war period due to the rise of other more flexible plastics.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930-1940
used by
Sieverts, June Ayres Lane
ID Number
1996.0038.025
catalog number
1996.0038.025
accession number
1996.0038
The market revolution of the 1700s expanded people’s access to goods from around the globe. American merchants and business owners in the early republic acquired and sold a variety of smaller goods such as tea from China and ceramics from England.
Description
The market revolution of the 1700s expanded people’s access to goods from around the globe. American merchants and business owners in the early republic acquired and sold a variety of smaller goods such as tea from China and ceramics from England. Handkerchiefs from India—such as this one made of pink and blue muslin—often appeared in merchants’ ledger accounts. For instance, Ramsay recorded an imported “Sastracundy” handkerchief, the name indicating its Southern Indian origin. As a fashionable and practical accessory, men and women wore the piece of cloth about the neck, tucked into a pocket, or carried in the hand. This Indian handkerchief is made with a pink and blue pattern on white muslin. It has a floral border 2” wide. Floral sprigs overall and a floral medallion details the center.
date made
1790-1820
ID Number
CS.006724
catalog number
006724
accession number
28810
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1810 - 1820
ID Number
CS.006609
catalog number
006609
accession number
28810
These shoes of gray kid leather date from about 1805 to 1815. Likely made by an artisan working on a small scale, they have a beige silk binding around the opening and a pinked edge along the vamp.
Description
These shoes of gray kid leather date from about 1805 to 1815. Likely made by an artisan working on a small scale, they have a beige silk binding around the opening and a pinked edge along the vamp. They have brown leather soles with spring heels and would originally have had gray silk ribbon ties. The interior has beige linen lining and the maker’s paper label affixed inside.
Location
Currently not on view (ribbon fragments)
date made
1805-1815
maker
Field, John
ID Number
CS.006544
catalog number
006544
accession number
28810
This bonnet from 1850-1874 is what a Quaker woman would have worn. Quaker bonnets were much plainer than the fashionable bonnets of the nineteenth century, with less adornment. They changed very little in style and shape making them difficult to date accurately.
Description
This bonnet from 1850-1874 is what a Quaker woman would have worn. Quaker bonnets were much plainer than the fashionable bonnets of the nineteenth century, with less adornment. They changed very little in style and shape making them difficult to date accurately. This bonnet with its quilted lining and skirt section would offer warmth to the wearer during inclement weather.
This bonnet is constructed of dark navy blue velvet with a quilted maroon lining and curtain. The bonnet fastens with two black ribbon ties with a single long maroon ribbon attached to either side of the front edges. It measures 12 ½ inches high by 9 ½ inches wide by 12 inches deep.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850-1874
ID Number
1983.0805.04
accession number
1983.0805
catalog number
1983.0805.04
This bride's cap was worn by Mary Eloise Tasher when she married William T. Moore on June 1, 1929 in South Bend, Indiana. It is constructed of white lace decorated with pearls and wax orange blossoms.
Description
This bride's cap was worn by Mary Eloise Tasher when she married William T. Moore on June 1, 1929 in South Bend, Indiana. It is constructed of white lace decorated with pearls and wax orange blossoms. The wax orange blossoms on the cap are a symbol of fertility since no tree is more prolific, bearing fruit and blooming at the same time. The blossom which is white is also a symbol of innocence and chastity. The use of orange blossoms became popular in the early nineteenth century and continued well into the 1950s. When real orange blossoms were not available or were in short supply, wax replicas, as on this bride's cap, were used instead.
The cap was worn with a white satin dress, with a tiered skirt edged with net, and white satin shoes as well as a brassiere and panties that are all part of the Smithsonian collections. The pink georgette mother of the bride dress, worn by Mrs. Charles A. Tasher, and the yellow crepe de chine and green silk taffeta bridesmaid dress, worn by Lucy Lucile Tasher, sister of the bride, are also in the collections.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1929
used by
Tasher, Mary Eloise
ID Number
CS.058341
catalog number
058341
accession number
205719
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1995-2009
trademark
Red Hat Society
ID Number
2010.0162.02
catalog number
2010.0162.02
accession number
2010.0162
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 2000
ID Number
2009.0176.002
accession number
2009.0176
catalog number
2009.0176.002
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 2001
c. 1995
ID Number
2009.0172.002
accession number
2009.0172
catalog number
2009.0172.002
This beanie style cap of blue and white cotton twill was worn by a lower grade school boy in the New York Public Schools. The "P.S. 49" logo stamped in blue ink at front center indicates "Public School" followed by the number to identify the school and area in which it was used.
Description
This beanie style cap of blue and white cotton twill was worn by a lower grade school boy in the New York Public Schools. The "P.S. 49" logo stamped in blue ink at front center indicates "Public School" followed by the number to identify the school and area in which it was used. The crown is constructed of six white traingular sections coming together at a point with a blue twill covered button. A stiffened blue twill brim is attached at front. Overall it measures 3" high by 7 Inches wide by 8 5/8 inches deep.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1940-1950
ID Number
1995.0019.012
accession number
1995.0019
catalog number
1995.0019.012
A remembrance piece such as this brooch is representative of mourning jewelry worn during the early nineteenth century.
Description
A remembrance piece such as this brooch is representative of mourning jewelry worn during the early nineteenth century. Death rituals were an important part of family life, and they were marked by women wearing mourning clothes as well as mourning jewelry after an acceptable period of time during the extended mourning period. The weeping willow that is depicted in this scene was a popular mourning motif in the nineteenth century.
This brooch dating from 1800-1820 is oval shape with an elaborate gold loop for hanging. Gold metal forms the border on the front with a central plaque painted with a mourning scene of a woman and child by a tomb, marked with the words "Rest in Peace." A weeping willow hangs over an urn that rests on top of the tomb. The plaque is covered with convex glass. The plain gold back is engraved with the initials "EMW" at the center. The brooch measures 3 ½ inches by 2 1/4 inches overall.
This brooch was a favorite family piece of the donor's. The initials on the back of the piece were of an unknown ancestor.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1800-1820
ID Number
1992.0302.1
accession number
1992.0302
catalog number
1992.0302.1

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