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.

Patricia Hawley decorated and wore this hat while serving as a Wisconsin delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The hat is an official "cheesehead" manufactured by Foamation Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Description
Patricia Hawley decorated and wore this hat while serving as a Wisconsin delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The hat is an official "cheesehead" manufactured by Foamation Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before arriving at the Chicago convention, Hawley collected the bumper stickers from earlier political events and purchased the pinwheel at the Ford Pharmacy in Appleton, Wisconsin.
It is not known when delegates began the tradition of decorating their hats at political conventions. Over time, delegates' decorations have become more elaborate assemblages. These creations are often statements of a party loyalty, emblematic of a particular cause, or, as was the case of this cheese hat, expressions of local pride. Most are meant to be fun and a celebration of individual participation in the political process.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1996
associated dates
1996-08-11-1996-08-16
1996-08-24-1996-08-30
described
Clinton, Bill
Gore, Jr., Albert A.
ID Number
1996.0311.01
catalog number
1996.0311.01
accession number
1996.0311
A straw hat adorned with a band of artificial flowers and a dangling price tag was an essential component of country comedian Minnie Pearl's stage persona.
Description
A straw hat adorned with a band of artificial flowers and a dangling price tag was an essential component of country comedian Minnie Pearl's stage persona. Born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Centerville Tennessee, she perfected her style of rural humor in numerous appearances at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, on radio, and on television.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Pearl, Minnie
ID Number
1993.0457.02
accession number
1993.0457
catalog number
1993.0457.02
This stovepipe hat was worn around 1850 and is made of black beaver fur. Inside the hat bears a personal note, “Hat made for Uncle Abe.”Currently not on view
Description
This stovepipe hat was worn around 1850 and is made of black beaver fur. Inside the hat bears a personal note, “Hat made for Uncle Abe.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1837-1847
maker
Mugnier
ID Number
CS.015678
catalog number
015678
accession number
58845
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia.
Description
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia. The hat is green velour, the coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, the shirtwaist is white crepe de chine, and the tie is greenish brown silk. Metal lapel and hat insignia and cloth sleeve insignia show "ALA" over an open book. This uniform was donated by the ALA through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The ALA's mission during World War I was to provide American men in the armed forces with reading material during their off-duty and recovery hours on transport ships, in camps, and in hospitals. Men served as librarians for the ALA, while women typically engaged in fundraising, sorting and preparing books, and working at ALA headquarters.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1917-1918
ID Number
1998.0165.60.04
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.60.04
Women's Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) uniform from World War I, consisting of hat, coat, shirtwaist, tie, skirt, and insignia. Coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, shirt is white dimity, hat is blue cotton, and tie is blue silk.
Description
Women's Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) uniform from World War I, consisting of hat, coat, shirtwaist, tie, skirt, and insignia. Coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, shirt is white dimity, hat is blue cotton, and tie is blue silk. Metal "U.S." insignia on coat lapel and cloth "J.W.B." patch with Star of David background on shouler and hat. Donated by the Jewish Welfare Board through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) was organized shortly after America’s entry into World War I, consolidating religious groups in the Jewish community to become an official agency to work with the War Department through its Commission on Training Camp Activities. It was modeled after the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Knights of Columbus, and other organizations that in World War I adapted military-like uniforms for women and men volunteers. The JWB built buildings and stocked libraries on army installations and distributed books, articles, Bibles, and prayer books supplied through its affiliation with the Jewish Publication Society. It established community branches in the “second line of defense,” by supporting Jewish workers in the shipyards, arsenals, and other military plants and factories, as well as hospitals and universities where the government had taken over under military regulations. Following the Armistice, under direction of the Navy Department, the JWB transferred its peacetime work to veteran’s hospitals and enlarged Jewish community centers.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1914-1918
ID Number
1998.0165.25.04
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.25.04
Made of red-dyed woven straw. This pillbox hat is from the ensemble worn by jazz vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald, in an American Express Card advertisement, photographed by Annie Liebovitz. Label inside the hat:MORGAN TAYLORCurrently not on view
Description

Made of red-dyed woven straw. This pillbox hat is from the ensemble worn by jazz vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald, in an American Express Card advertisement, photographed by Annie Liebovitz. Label inside the hat:

MORGAN TAYLOR

Location
Currently not on view
advertiser
American Express Company
wearer
Fitzgerald, Ella
ID Number
1996.0342.008
accession number
1996.0342
catalog number
1996.0342.008
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2011.0164.29
catalog number
2011.0164.29
accession number
2011.0164
This black derby-style hat was manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company around 1900. It is made of felt and adorned with a black grosgrain ribbon that is slightly frayed at the edges.
Description
This black derby-style hat was manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company around 1900. It is made of felt and adorned with a black grosgrain ribbon that is slightly frayed at the edges. A hat like this may have been worn as a marker of elevated social status at the turn of the 20th century.
date made
ca 1880-1940
ID Number
1985.0711.02
accession number
1985.0711
catalog number
1985.0711.02
Hattie Carnegie designed this pink hat that was worn by Mildred R. Palmer during the 1950s.
Description
Hattie Carnegie designed this pink hat that was worn by Mildred R. Palmer during the 1950s. Born as Henrietta Koningeiser in Vienna in 1880, Hattie Carnegie began her career in fashion and design in New York by opening Carnegie–Ladies Hatter in 1909 with business partner Rose Roth. She chose the last name “Carnegie” to emulate America’s richest man, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Hattie began taking annual trips to Paris in 1919, and Hattie Carnegie, Inc., prospered by reinterpreting Parisian dress for the American consumer. Each annual fashion line from Hattie Carnegie could contain anywhere from five hundred to one thousand hats, designed to complement her original designs.
date made
1951-1958
maker
Carnegie, Hattie
Julius Garfinckel
ID Number
1981.0011.001
accession number
1981.0011
catalog number
1981.0011.001
This International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) cap, dates from around 1933.
Description
This International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) cap, dates from around 1933.
Date made
ca 1933
referenced
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
ID Number
1986.0710.0037
accession number
1986.0710
catalog number
1986.0710.0037
The popularity of feathered hats led to the slaughter of millions of birds and endangered many species. In the late 1800s women activists launched a successful boycott and contributed to the founding of the National Audubon Society.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
The popularity of feathered hats led to the slaughter of millions of birds and endangered many species. In the late 1800s women activists launched a successful boycott and contributed to the founding of the National Audubon Society.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1888-1890
ID Number
CS.16437
accession number
59759
catalog number
16437
U.S. Army Contract Surgeon women's uniform from World War I. The uniform consists of a coat, skirt, shirtwaist, necktie, campaign hat, gloves, boots, and insignia. The coat and skirt are made of olive drab wool.
Description
U.S. Army Contract Surgeon women's uniform from World War I. The uniform consists of a coat, skirt, shirtwaist, necktie, campaign hat, gloves, boots, and insignia. The coat and skirt are made of olive drab wool. The hat is brown wool with a black and maroon hat band and black and gold hat cord. The shirt is olive drab cotton and the tie is maroon cotton. The gloves and boots are brown leather. Insignia include metal "U.S." insignia on shirt collar and bronze caduceus with a superimposed "CS" monogram on the coat lapels. World War I Victory ribbon on left breast. Three overseas service chevrons on lower left sleeve, depicting 6 months of service each. This uniform was worn by Dr. Loy McAfee, who was assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General by orders dated May 17, 1918. Donated by Dr. McAfee through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
During World War I the U.S. Army Medical Department employed contract surgeons in order to meet the demand for additional skilled medical personnel. Women who were contract surgeons served as anesthetists, lab technicians, dispensary physicians, and other capacities as needed.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1917-1918
ID Number
1998.0165.63.04
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.63.04
Sam Walton founded his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas and his first Sam’s Club wholesale store in 1983 in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Walton was known for preferring baseball caps to staid business clothes, exemplified in this trucker-style hat he wore.
Description
Sam Walton founded his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas and his first Sam’s Club wholesale store in 1983 in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Walton was known for preferring baseball caps to staid business clothes, exemplified in this trucker-style hat he wore. The hat has a white mesh back with a blue front and bill that reads “WAL-MART/Our People Make The Difference/SAM’s Wholesale Club.”
ID Number
2014.0111.01
accession number
2014.0111
catalog number
2014.0111.01
The popularity of feathered hats led to the slaughter of millions of birds and endangered many species. In the late 1800s women activists launched a successful boycott and contributed to the founding of the National Audubon Society.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of feathered hats led to the slaughter of millions of birds and endangered many species. In the late 1800s women activists launched a successful boycott and contributed to the founding of the National Audubon Society.
date made
1910-1912
ID Number
CS.299884.008
accession number
299884
catalog number
299884.008
This "Tom Mix" style cowboy hat made by the John B. Stetson Company dates from 1910 to 1930. The huge ten-gallon Stetson hat was Tom Mix's trademark.
Description
This "Tom Mix" style cowboy hat made by the John B. Stetson Company dates from 1910 to 1930. The huge ten-gallon Stetson hat was Tom Mix's trademark. He was the top cowboy movie star of American silent films, known for his daring stunts and his equally famous elaborate cowboy outfits. More than any other star before 1930, Tom Mix had great influence on western wear.
Tom Mix was born on January 6, 1880 in Mix Run, Pennsylvania. His given name was Thomas Hezikiah Mix, but when he enlisted in the Army in April 1898, he listed his name as Thomas E. Mix. Mix appeared in over three hundred western films until his movie career ended when silent films were replaced by talking films. He then worked in rodeos and circuses until his death in 1940 from a freak automobile accident.
The average cowboy wore a hat called a "JB," which stood for John B. Stetson, a hatter who started his company in 1865. He built one of America's most well known and successful businesses and created hats that stood for innovation, quality, and durability. This cowboy hat is one of the styles that the John B. Stetson Company was known for producing. It is made of an off-white felt with a matching ribbon band and measures seven inches high by fourteen inches wide by eighteen inches deep.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1910 - 1930
maker
Stetson
ID Number
CS.112055.001
catalog number
112055.001
accession number
112055
Ray Bolger wore this patchwork outfit as the Scarecrow, one of the trio of friends who accompany Dorothy to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz.Designed by Adrian, MGM's premier costume artist, the straw-stuffed clothing fit loosely enough so that Bolger could perform his comedi
Description
Ray Bolger wore this patchwork outfit as the Scarecrow, one of the trio of friends who accompany Dorothy to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz.
Designed by Adrian, MGM's premier costume artist, the straw-stuffed clothing fit loosely enough so that Bolger could perform his comedic dance number, "If I Only Had a Brain." A sponge-rubber mask, resembling burlap, completed the Scarecrow's costume. Under the hot lights on the set, the mask was stifling, and it frequently had to be replaced.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939
user
Bolger, Ray
designer
Adrian
ID Number
1987.0608.01
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.01
Of mid-1800s construction this top hat is made from the fur of a black beaver. Made by a Philadelphia hatter to resemble “the style of Ben Franklin” the hat boasts a wide brim and is slightly worn at the crown.
Description
Of mid-1800s construction this top hat is made from the fur of a black beaver. Made by a Philadelphia hatter to resemble “the style of Ben Franklin” the hat boasts a wide brim and is slightly worn at the crown.
date made
1800-1899
maker
Hilborn
ID Number
CS.015677
catalog number
015677
accession number
58845
At six feet four inches tall, Lincoln towered over most of his contemporaries. He chose to stand out even more by wearing high top hats. He acquired this hat from J. Y. Davis, a Washington hat maker.
Description
At six feet four inches tall, Lincoln towered over most of his contemporaries. He chose to stand out even more by wearing high top hats. He acquired this hat from J. Y. Davis, a Washington hat maker. Lincoln had the black silk mourning band added in remembrance of his son Willie. No one knows when he obtained the hat, or how often he wore it. The last time he put it on was to go to Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865.
After Lincoln’s assassination, the War Department preserved his hat and other material left at Ford’s Theatre. With permission from Mary Lincoln, the department gave the hat to the Patent Office, which, in 1867, transferred it to the Smithsonian Institution. Joseph Henry, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, ordered his staff not to exhibit the hat “under any circumstance, and not to mention the matter to any one, on account of there being so much excitement at the time.” It was immediately placed in a basement storage room.
The American public did not see the hat again until 1893, when the Smithsonian lent it to an exhibition hosted by the Lincoln Memorial Association. Today it is one of the Institution’s most treasured objects.
Transfer from the War Department with permission from Mary Lincoln, 1867
date made
mid 19th century
user
Lincoln, Abraham
maker
Davis, J. Y.
ID Number
PL.9321
accession number
38912
catalog number
9321
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 2009
maker
Reveles, Luis
ID Number
2009.0224.03
catalog number
2009.0224.03
accession number
2009.0224
Dating from 1910-1912, this woman's hat is trimmed with ostrich plumes. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was an ever increasing demand by hat makers for plumes, especially ostrich, to decorate women's millinery.
Description
Dating from 1910-1912, this woman's hat is trimmed with ostrich plumes. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was an ever increasing demand by hat makers for plumes, especially ostrich, to decorate women's millinery. With new legislative restrictions on hunting wild birds for fashion, ostrich farming became a successful enterprise in California, Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida in the 1880s so that feathers could be clipped from the farmed birds to satisfy the American demands for hat making using ostrich feathers.
This hat is made of ivory silk and trimmed with plumes of a pale ivory shade. The underside of the hat brim is covered with black silk velvet. The ostrich plumes were extended by tying on barbs cut from other ostrich plumes. It measures 8.9 inches by 18.3 inches by 15.9 inches overall.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1910-1912
ID Number
1972.299884.008
accession number
299884
catalog number
299884.8
This black fabric baseball-style cap has a white embroidered Egyptian symbol image on front and embroidered text “Universal Zulu Nation” on the side. It was available through the Universal Zulu Nation company created by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaata (b.
Description (Brief)
This black fabric baseball-style cap has a white embroidered Egyptian symbol image on front and embroidered text “Universal Zulu Nation” on the side. It was available through the Universal Zulu Nation company created by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaata (b. 1957).
Afrika Bambaata (born Kevin Donovan), an American DJ from the Bronx, was influential in the early development of hip hop and is regarded as the “Godfather” of hip hop culture. He has been instrumental in spreading hip hop music and culture around the world, as well as creating opportunities and helping to improve the lives of others in the hip hop community through his organization "Universal Zulu Nation." In 1990, Bambaataa made Life magazine's "Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" issue.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2006.0067.07
accession number
2006.0067
catalog number
2006.0067.07
This maroon fabric baseball-style cap has a white embroidered Egyptian symbol image on front and embroidered text “Universal Zulu Nation” on the side. It was available through the Universal Zulu Nation company created by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaata (b.
Description (Brief)
This maroon fabric baseball-style cap has a white embroidered Egyptian symbol image on front and embroidered text “Universal Zulu Nation” on the side. It was available through the Universal Zulu Nation company created by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaata (b. 1957).
Afrika Bambaata (born Kevin Donovan), an American DJ from the Bronx, was influential in the early development of hip hop and is regarded as the “Godfather” of hip hop culture. He has been instrumental in spreading hip hop music and culture around the world, as well as creating opportunities and helping to improve the lives of others in the hip hop community through his organization "Universal Zulu Nation." In 1990, Bambaataa made Life magazine's "Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" issue.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2006.0067.06
accession number
2006.0067
catalog number
2006.0067.06
Beginning in the late 18th century, some volunteer fire fighters began to wear hats painted with their company’s name to identify themselves at chaotic fire scenes.
Description
Beginning in the late 18th century, some volunteer fire fighters began to wear hats painted with their company’s name to identify themselves at chaotic fire scenes. During the 19th century, these fire hats became more ornate, as portraits of historical figures, patriotic scenes, allegorical images, or company icons were painted alongside the company’s name, motto, or founding date. Made of pressed felt, these “stove-pipe” hats were primarily used in Philadelphia, but other nearby cities such as Baltimore and Washington adopted them as well. Fire hats were personal items with the owner’s initials often painted on the top of the hat. While these hats were worn at fires, they are more colloquially known as “parade hats.” Fire companies commonly marched in the many parades of the period and these ornate hats contributed to the visual culture of their day. These distinguishing features in a company’s regalia often proclaimed the members’ cultural and political identity as well as their position on contested topics such as work, religion and immigration.
This fire hat dates to the first half of the 19th century. The hat is painted black with gold bands around the top and base. "Kensington" is painted in gold above the date "1791." The number "1" is painted in gold on the opposite side, and the owner’s initials “W.H.C." are painted in gold on the top of the hat. The Kensington Fire Company was founded in 1791 in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the time, Kensington was a separate municipality, and this company was the first of its kind for the area. The company operated until 1855, when it refused to join the newly organized Philadelphia Fire Department, which, although volunteer, was under the administrative and financial control of the city.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1810-1860
associated date
1791
maker
unknown
ID Number
2005.0233.0103
catalog number
2005.0233.0103
accession number
2005.0233
This red fabric fez was made by Hilmart in Morocco.
Description (Brief)
This red fabric fez was made by Hilmart in Morocco. It has a black tassel and printed graphic on the front with the texts “Proud Nuwaubian” and “United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors.” Nuwaubian teachings have inspired and influenced hip hop artists including Afrika Bambaataa, Doug E. Fresh, Erykah Badu, and Outkast. Bambaataa donated this fez to the Smithsonian in 2006.
Afrika Bambaata (born Kevin Donovan), an American DJ from the Bronx, was influential in the early development of hip hop and is regarded as the “Godfather” of hip hop culture. He has been instrumental in spreading hip hop music and culture around the world, as well as creating opportunities and helping to improve the lives of others in the hip hop community through his organization "Universal Zulu Nation." In 1990, Bambaataa made Life magazine's "Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" issue.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Hilmart
ID Number
2006.0067.04
accession number
2006.0067
catalog number
2006.0067.04

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