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
2000
2000-04-16
ID Number
2000.0158.04
accession number
2000.0158
catalog number
2000.0158.04
Date made
2000
2000-04-16
ID Number
2000.0158.01
catalog number
2000.0158.01
accession number
2000.0158
Celluloid notebook featuring an image of a woman in hat and jacket beside red flowers that may be cherry blossoms. Print on back advertises: "Printzess Distinction in Dress.
Description (Brief)
Celluloid notebook featuring an image of a woman in hat and jacket beside red flowers that may be cherry blossoms. Print on back advertises: "Printzess Distinction in Dress. This label on any coat or suit guarantees perfect fit-- shape retaining quality and two seasons satisfactory wear."
The Printz-Biederman Company of Cleveland, makers of the "Printzess" garments for women, was founded in 1893 by Moritz Printz and Joseph Biederman. The Printz-Biederman Company was widely known for its method of dealing with employees. The workers had a direct voting voice in all matters that affected their welfare.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1903
advertiser
Kaufman Bros.
maker
Kaufman Bros.
ID Number
2006.0098.0473
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0473
In this 1838 caricature, President Martin Van Buren welcomes friends who are members of the Loco Foco party to the White House.
Description (Brief)
In this 1838 caricature, President Martin Van Buren welcomes friends who are members of the Loco Foco party to the White House. The Loco Foco party was an offshoot of the Democratic Party focused on abolishing any antidemocratic and elitist financial policies and disbanding the National Bank. They were originally called the Equal Rights Party, but they became known as the Loco Foco party after Tammany Hall Democrats turned out the gas lights at their nominating convention, forcing them to light their meeting using loco foco matches. The Loco Foco Party never became a national party, and they were often mocked within the Democratic Party and by their opponents. Martin Van Buren calls his Loco Foco visitors dear “old friends,” an illusion to his long standing opposition to the National Bank that he shared with Loco Foco Democrats. On the wall behind Van Buren and the unidentified Loco Foco party member, is a portrait of esteemed journalist, presidential advisor, and Washington Globe editor, Francis Preston Blair. Blair was instrumental in creating Democratic propaganda for Andrew Jackson, so his presence on the wall foreshadows Van Buren’s future decision to satisfy the Loco Foco desire for a treasury completely separate from the federal government via the Independent Treasury Act of July 4th, 1840.
The lithographer of this print is Henry R. Robinson (1827-1877). Robinson worked in New York, and had a store to sell his prints. In 1842, he was arrested for selling obscene pictures and books leading to the September 28, 1842 court case, People vs H. R. Robinson found in the District Attorney Indictment Papers, Municipal Archives. He was politically affiliated with the anti-Jackson Whig party which was made obvious by the wig silhouette used in 1838 as an advertising logo for his shop.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1838
depicted
Van Buren, Martin
Marcy, William L.
Cambreleng, Churchill C.
maker
Robinson, Henry R.
ID Number
DL.60.3332
catalog number
60.3332
Colored print of hunter and his dog. The hunter is loading his rifle and looking over his shoulder at a woodcock that is flying away.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Colored print of hunter and his dog. The hunter is loading his rifle and looking over his shoulder at a woodcock that is flying away.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880
copyright holder
Zink, C. H.
maker
Earle, L. C.
ID Number
DL.60.2678
catalog number
60.2678
accession number
228146
This white infant’s dress with short raglan sleeves was made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckley for her goddaughter Alberta Elizabeth Lewis-Savoy in 1866. The neckline has two rows of casing with a narrow gathering ribbon.
Description
This white infant’s dress with short raglan sleeves was made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckley for her goddaughter Alberta Elizabeth Lewis-Savoy in 1866. The neckline has two rows of casing with a narrow gathering ribbon. The center back opens with ribbon ties and a placket. The back waist is detailed with four rows of gathering ribbon and the front waistband is covered with lace, which is partially stitched down. A full skirt with twenty pleats is gathered to the waistband. Handmade Bucks point bobbin lace trims the sleeves and hem.
date made
1866
wearer
Lewis, Alberta Elizabeth
maker
Keckley, Elizabeth
ID Number
1983.0853.01
accession number
1983.0853
catalog number
1983.0853.01
Family tradition states that this waistcoat was worn on February 24, 1791, by James McCubbin Lingan for his wedding in Georgetown, Maryland (now Washington, D.C.), to Janet Henderson (born 1765).
Description
Family tradition states that this waistcoat was worn on February 24, 1791, by James McCubbin Lingan for his wedding in Georgetown, Maryland (now Washington, D.C.), to Janet Henderson (born 1765). Lingan was born in May 1751 in Maryland, and clerked in a Georgetown store until he enlisted in the Continental Army early in the Revolution. He fought at Long Island, York Island, and Fort Washington, where he was taken prisoner and confined aboard the British ship Jersey for three and a half years. After the war, he returned to Georgetown as the port’s collector and acquired the rank of “General,” possibly through involvement with the militia. General Lingan was killed in Baltimore on July 28, 1812, while trying to reason with a mob concerning the free-speech rights of his friend Alexander Hanson, publisher of The Federal Republican newspaper.
Men’s fashion went through a revolutionary change during the last half of the eighteenth century, as clothing steadily shrank from a curvaceous, full-skirted style into a slender, vertical silhouette. The waistcoat was a vest-like garment that a man wore over his shirt and under his suit coat. The waistcoat shown here represents the final stage of the 18th-century evolution of men’s clothing.
The waistcoat had shrunk impressively by the 1780s, but it still had to be elegant because it was showcased by a tight, open-fronted coat. This white silk satin and moiré striped waistcoat with silver trim had a high collar that compensated for its vanished skirts and reflected the high coat collar that would have been worn over it. Its straight woven stripes were echoed by the silver braid along the front edges, making the wearer’s figure appear very vertical. The fact that curves had no place in the new taste was underscored by the straight horizontal base of the waistcoat and the rectangular pocket welts, which had replaced the angled skirts and shaped flaps of older waistcoat styles. The revolution in men’s fashion was complete.
This waistcoat is made of off-white silk woven with wide vertical tone-on-tone satin and moiré stripes. It has a high standing collar and self-faced revers, or front edges that are meant to turn back. The waistcoat has a straight base and is cut to end just below the waist. A rectangular pocket welt at waist level on each front is bound on the upper and side edges with the same metallic silver tape that binds the neck, center front, and front hem edges. The tape is now black with tarnish. Eleven small, flat, self-covered buttons are sewn from the chest to the base along the right front edge. The waistcoat is fully lined and backed with natural-colored cotton. Two pairs of tape ties are sewn onto the back to adjust the fit. The overall front length from the shoulder seam to hem, not including the collar, is 25.5 in. (64.8 cm). The collar height is 2.5 in. (6.4 cm).
To see a fashionable man wearing a waistcoat that is similar to this one, link to the portrait of Connecticut merchant Elijah Boardman, 1789, by Ralph Earl at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Then read an account of the violent death of General Lingan, the man who wore the waistcoat shown here, by linking to An exact and authentic narrative, of the events which took place in Baltimore, on the 27th and 28th of July last., 1812 at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
This Web entry was made possible in part by a generous grant from the National Association of Men’s Sportswear Buyers, in memory of Joseph S. Klein.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1785-1791
1782 - 1788
wearer
Lingan, James MacCubbin
maker
unknown
ID Number
CS.010584
catalog number
010584
accession number
46098
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
These vinyl sleeves are worn from the wrist to just above the elbow by people working in the factory aboard the trawler Alaska Ocean. Worn tucked into work gloves, the sleeves help keep a worker’s forearms dry.
Description
These vinyl sleeves are worn from the wrist to just above the elbow by people working in the factory aboard the trawler Alaska Ocean. Worn tucked into work gloves, the sleeves help keep a worker’s forearms dry. The company supplies such sleeves, which are cleaned frequently and reused. An estimated 200 pairs of sleeves were stocked aboard the Alaska Ocean during the 2007 season. The Alaska Ocean operates in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea.
date made
2007
Associated Date
2007
maker
Grundens
ID Number
2007.0178.15
catalog number
2007.0178.15
accession number
2007.0178
This vinyl bib apron was worn by fish processor Thelma McFarland over her coveralls and rain pants during her work shifts aboard the factory trawler Alaska Ocean in the summer of 2007.
Description
This vinyl bib apron was worn by fish processor Thelma McFarland over her coveralls and rain pants during her work shifts aboard the factory trawler Alaska Ocean in the summer of 2007. Processors like McFarland stand at long tables or conveyor belts and encounter considerable water and fish parts as they work. Processors typically wear aprons of one sort of another for protection.
Although the on-board laundry crew takes care of cleaning workers’ coveralls, rain pants, gloves, and plastic sleeves, each worker is responsible for cleaning his or her apron. McFarland, who is about 5 feet tall, adjusted her apron to suit her small frame by cutting off the lower portion. She also personalized it by writing her name in permanent marker across the bib.
date made
2007
used
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
ID Number
2007.0178.18
catalog number
2007.0178.18
accession number
2007.0178
Fish processors aboard trawlers like the Alaska Ocean wear waterproof pants over their coveralls and other clothing to protect themselves from the water and fish slime that are constant companions in the factory. This pair is dark blue, the same as those worn by deck hands.
Description
Fish processors aboard trawlers like the Alaska Ocean wear waterproof pants over their coveralls and other clothing to protect themselves from the water and fish slime that are constant companions in the factory. This pair is dark blue, the same as those worn by deck hands. These pants are small and were worn by processor Thelma McFarland in the summer 2007 season.
date made
2007
used
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Helly Hansen
ID Number
2007.0178.21
catalog number
2007.0178.21
accession number
2007.0178
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1981
recipient
Robinson, Jr., Franklin A.
distributor
Catholic University of America
ID Number
2011.0093.06
accession number
2011.0093
catalog number
2011.0093.06
The factory inside a large trawler like the Alaska Ocean is filled with equipment for filleting, processing, freezing, and packing enormous quantities of fish. Workers are trained in safety procedures and also wear protective headgear and earplugs as they work.
Description
The factory inside a large trawler like the Alaska Ocean is filled with equipment for filleting, processing, freezing, and packing enormous quantities of fish. Workers are trained in safety procedures and also wear protective headgear and earplugs as they work. While not required to wear certified safety helmets like the fishermen on the weather deck, they wear bump hats molded from high-density polyethylene for protection from minor bumps and bruises.
This yellow bump hat was worn by Thelma McFarland, a fish processor, who was working her third season aboard the Alaska Ocean in 2007. She wore it over a disposable hairnet, which covered and held her hair in place, a requirement for maintaining sanitary conditions in the factory. There are typically four factory shifts, and the bump hats are color-coded according to each shift—blue for A, yellow for B, green for C, and orange for D shift. The color-coding allows managers to quickly assess the number of workers that will be needed on extra kicker shifts. The lead managers in each area wear red bump hats.
date made
2007
Associated Date
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Bullard
ID Number
2007.0178.13
catalog number
2007.0178.13
accession number
2007.0178
Currently on loan
Location
Currently on loan
date made
circa 2018-03-20
Date of March for Our Lives
March 24, 2018
Reason for the March of Our Lives
February 14, 2018
Walkout organized by Naomi Wadler
March 14, 2018
ID Number
2018.0099.01
accession number
2018.0099
catalog number
2018.0099.01
Despite automation of basic fish processing functions like gutting and filleting, there is still a lot of handwork to be done aboard a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean.
Description
Despite automation of basic fish processing functions like gutting and filleting, there is still a lot of handwork to be done aboard a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean. And work around cold water, fresh fish, and heavy machinery means that gloves are a crucial part of a factory worker’s outfit.
These heavy vinyl gloves were worn by a female fish processor during the summer fishing season in 2007. An estimated 1200 to 1400 pairs of these gloves were being used, cleaned, and reused aboard the Alaska Ocean in 2007.
In addition to these heavy work gloves, the onboard laundry operation oversaw the distribution of 5,000 pairs of lighter rubber gloves, 800 pairs of cotton gloves, and 1200 pairs of wool gloves. The crew working in the freezer hold, known as the “pain cave,” wore thick, insulated gloves, and lab workers used disposable gloves when conducting tests on products for quality control.
date made
2007
worn
2007
ID Number
2007.0178.16
catalog number
2007.0178.16
accession number
2007.0178
Working on a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean means living at sea for weeks at a time. The vessel fishes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and everyone aboard works a 12-hour shift.
Description
Working on a factory trawler like the Alaska Ocean means living at sea for weeks at a time. The vessel fishes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and everyone aboard works a 12-hour shift. Although at 376 feet the vessel is huge, it is still a confined space with little variation in routines. People relax by working out in the gym, having a snack in the galley, or by watching movies (DVDs) in the large lounge, where a dozen recliners are arranged in a loose semicircle. The staterooms also have television sets and in early June when the boat is typically fishing in the North Pacific off the coast of Washington State, many of the sets are tuned in to Seattle Mariners’ baseball games.
Fishing boat attire runs toward jeans and T-shirts, but sweatpants and shirts are also worn. Sweatpants decorated with the words ALASKA OCEAN running up one leg were popular during the 2007 season. They were worn in leisure time as well as under coveralls during work hours. The pants were available, along with T-shirts, jackets, ball caps, and other attire, in the ship’s store.
date made
2007
Associated Date
2007
maker
Jerzees
ID Number
2007.0178.12
catalog number
2007.0178.12
accession number
2007.0178
Fish processors, laboratory staff, inspectors, supervisors, and others who work in the factory aboard the Alaska Ocean wear royal blue coveralls like these when on duty. These polyester coveralls are worn over other clothing to maintain standards of hygiene in the factory.
Description
Fish processors, laboratory staff, inspectors, supervisors, and others who work in the factory aboard the Alaska Ocean wear royal blue coveralls like these when on duty. These polyester coveralls are worn over other clothing to maintain standards of hygiene in the factory. Some processors change their coveralls several times during their daily 12-hour shift, which can extend to kicker shifts of an additional three hours. Because clean coveralls are always in demand, the factory’s laundry crew keeps the industrial washers and dryers running continuously. The coveralls, with the words Alaska Ocean emblazoned across the back, zip up the front and are typically worn tucked into boots.
date made
2006
Associated Date
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Fristads
ID Number
2007.0178.20
catalog number
2007.0178.20
accession number
2007.0178
These non-slip, waterproof boots were worn by Thelma McFarland, a fish processor working aboard the Alaska Ocean factory trawler in the summer of 2007.
Description
These non-slip, waterproof boots were worn by Thelma McFarland, a fish processor working aboard the Alaska Ocean factory trawler in the summer of 2007. Manufactured in the USA, these “Xtratuf” boots are made of neoprene, a synthetic rubber.
Processors work 12-hour shifts and, if the factory is busy, they may work an additional 3 hours, called a kicker shift. For most of this time, the workers are on their feet, standing at processing tables or conveyor belts, or walking from one station to another on grated walkways. These walkways, like the areas around the equipment where processors stand to work, are raised above the floor, allowing the water used in factory operations to run beneath the workers’ feet. Despite being elevated above any water flow, it is still essential for workers to wear non-slip, waterproof boots to keep their feet warm and dry.
These boots are identical to those worn by deck hands. Most of the specialized clothing worn by workers and crew aboard the Alaska Ocean is provided by the company. Boots, however, are purchased by individuals, and are available in the on-board store. Felt insoles for the boots are available in the laundry and are washed frequently by laundry staff.
date made
2007
used
2007
used
McFarland, Thelma
maker
Norcross Safety Products, L. L. C.
ID Number
2007.0178.17
catalog number
2007.0178.17
accession number
2007.0178
This headwrap dating between 1972 and 1984 was worn by Fath Davis Ruffins, an African American woman in Washington, DC.
Description
This headwrap dating between 1972 and 1984 was worn by Fath Davis Ruffins, an African American woman in Washington, DC. Ruffins bought the fabric for this headwrap and matching dress, which is also in the Smithsonian collections, at an African shop on Georgia Avenue in Washington, DC. It was made in 1972 but was worn as part of a summer "dress-up" outfit through 1984. Elaborately tied headwraps were worn by young African American women during this period to acknowledge their West African ancestral roots.
The flat cotton rectangular panel is a large floral "Java Print" in three shades of green with yellow accents on a cream background with a dark green with yellow floral design border. The forty-six inch long rectangle is narrower on one short side (twenty inches) than the other (inches) with stitched edges. "Guaranteed Dutch Java Print" is stamped on the selvage.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1972-1984
used by
Ruffins, Fath Davis
maker
Ruffins, Fath Davis
ID Number
1992.0456.001
accession number
1992.0456
catalog number
1992.0456.001
Mrs. Lee ordered this skirt from China to wear on formal occasions, such as weddings. The waistband, of a different fabric, was covered by a blouse.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Mrs. Lee ordered this skirt from China to wear on formal occasions, such as weddings. The waistband, of a different fabric, was covered by a blouse.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
unknown
ID Number
2000.0274.02
accession number
2000.0274
catalog number
2000.0274.02
Several types of renewable energy sources are available as alternatives to non-renewable, carbon-based fuels. This button advocates the use of solar energy to generate electricity.
Description (Brief)
Several types of renewable energy sources are available as alternatives to non-renewable, carbon-based fuels. This button advocates the use of solar energy to generate electricity. It was distributed in 1978 by Solar Action, the Washington, D.C.-based organization that helped to organize Sun Day (3 May 1978.) For many people, the 1970s energy crisis was a call to action to change how electricity was generated and used. Making the choice to “go solar”—and encouraging others to do the same—reflected growing optimism about the potential of clean, accessible solar energy.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1978
maker
Edward Horn Co.
ID Number
2003.0014.0400
accession number
2003.0014
catalog number
2003.0014.0400
The Healthy Harvest Society is a clearinghouse for information about organizations, groups, and individuals in the fields of sustainable agriculture and horticulture. It publishes a yearly directory and a geographical index of resources.
Description
The Healthy Harvest Society is a clearinghouse for information about organizations, groups, and individuals in the fields of sustainable agriculture and horticulture. It publishes a yearly directory and a geographical index of resources. The Society produced this button for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, held in 1990.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990
maker
Adspecs Inc.
ID Number
1992.3134.043
catalog number
1992.3134.043
nonaccession number
1992.3134
This dress was worn by Mrs. George Meem to a White House function in Washington, D.C. in the early 1920s. It could have been either the Warren Harding or Calvin Coolidge administrations. Her husband was a local banker, and they were probably active in Washington society.
Description
This dress was worn by Mrs. George Meem to a White House function in Washington, D.C. in the early 1920s. It could have been either the Warren Harding or Calvin Coolidge administrations. Her husband was a local banker, and they were probably active in Washington society. As indicated by the label in the dress, she purchased the dress at Julius Garfinckel and Company, called “Garfinckel’s” by local residents.
The dress was worn with a pair of gold leather sandals which are also in the costume collections at the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution.
This sleeveless evening dress is constructed from red creped georgette with a woven gold metallic geometric pattern. It has a round neck that is lower in the front than at the back. The edges of the neck and armholes are faced with light red georgette. The back of the dress has a hanging panel that extends from the neck to the waist and is gathered at the neck edge. The waist seam is dropped below the normal waistline, and there is a separate inset band around the hip area that is asymmetrical at the lower edge, curving up at the right side. The upper skirt section, with four rows of shirring, is attached to the bottom of inset band. The skirt section overlaps at the right side so that the panel hangs free. The lower portion of the skirt is constructed of metallic lace. Two rosettes of self-fabric and a hanging panel of gold metallic lace are attached at the right hip. An off-white georgette slip is sewn to the dress at the shoulders and the waistband seam and extends to the bottom of the georgette portion of the skirt section.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1920 - 1924
1920-1924
maker
Garfinckel's
Julius Garfinckel and Company
ID Number
CS.046855
catalog number
046855
accession number
182611

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.