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.

Shoehorn in the shape of a woman's leg. Made of laminated sheets of celluloid, its top sheet is orange and hand-painted with a red sock and black shoe. The back is the glittery Goldalure celluloid, developed in the mid-1920s.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Shoehorn in the shape of a woman's leg. Made of laminated sheets of celluloid, its top sheet is orange and hand-painted with a red sock and black shoe. The back is the glittery Goldalure celluloid, developed in the mid-1920s.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925-1930
ID Number
2006.0098.1584
catalog number
2006.0098.1584
accession number
2006.0098
The frontpiece (also known as shield or badge) of firefighting helmets has been a distinctive part of the American firefighter’s helmet since it was developed by Henry Gratacap in the early 19th century. These frontpieces displayed a variety of information.
Description (Brief)
The frontpiece (also known as shield or badge) of firefighting helmets has been a distinctive part of the American firefighter’s helmet since it was developed by Henry Gratacap in the early 19th century. These frontpieces displayed a variety of information. The fire company's name and number appeared, often alongside the city or town where it was based. The frontpiece could also include the owner's initials and rank. Most fire helmets had leather frontpieces, but frontpieces could also be made of metal, especially on presentation helmets or those worn in parades.
This patent leather frontpiece was made by Cairns & Brother of New York, New York around 1939. The black frontpiece of Ladder 7 of the Philadelphia Fire Department has an upper and lower banner with a white background. The banners read “2461/PFD” in painted red letters. A red leather number “7” is stitched in the center of the piece, with a red leather hook and ladder crossed behind it.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1939
maker
Cairns & Brother
ID Number
2005.0233.1498
accession number
2005.0233
catalog number
2005.0233.1498
This 1936 peach-colored Variation bra had separate cups for each breast, providing support with an elastic band below.
Description
This 1936 peach-colored Variation bra had separate cups for each breast, providing support with an elastic band below. In the early 1920s, New York dressmakers Enid Bissett and Ida Rosenthal began selling bras like these that created a more ‘natural’ look than the contemporary flat-chested styles. The look caught on and sales rose quickly. Their company, Maiden Form, sold over 1 million Variation bras and remained profitable throughout the Depression.
date made
1936
maker
Maidenform
ID Number
1997.0117.18
design patent number
98.090
accession number
1997.0117
catalog number
1997.0117.18
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920-1935
ID Number
2006.0098.0903
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0903
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
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925-1935
ID Number
2006.0098.1714
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.1714
A fancy evening purse made of a satin pouch sewn to a celluloid frame, of mottled green and black. The pouch is covered with rings of black celluloid beads. A chain made of black celluloid links is attached to the frame.
Description (Brief)
A fancy evening purse made of a satin pouch sewn to a celluloid frame, of mottled green and black. The pouch is covered with rings of black celluloid beads. A chain made of black celluloid links is attached to the frame. The inside is lined with red silk, and a mirror is inside the lid.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920-1930
ID Number
2006.0098.0887
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0887
In 1928, the E. I. DuPont de Nemours Co. hired Wallace Carothers Ph. to conduct pure research in any area of chemistry he chose. His interest was in the construction of long chain polymers, similar to those found in nature.
Description
In 1928, the E. I. DuPont de Nemours Co. hired Wallace Carothers Ph. to conduct pure research in any area of chemistry he chose. His interest was in the construction of long chain polymers, similar to those found in nature. There was no product in mind when he and his team began their work, they simply wanted to learn as much about large molecules as possible. The work done by Carothers and his team lead to the discovery of polyesters and polyamides. DuPont went with the polyamides, and nylon was born. It was the first fiber produced entirely in the laboratory, and was introduced to the public in the form of women's stockings at the 1939 World's Fair. Nylon stockings went on sale May 15, 1940, and were a smashing success. Prior to the production of nylon stockings, American women wore stockings made of silk or rayon. By 1942, nylon stockings were taking twenty percent of the stocking market. With U.S. entry into World War Two, nylon was declared a defense material and withdrawn from the civilian market. Nylon's most famous use during the war was as a replacement for silk in parachutes. However, it was also used in ropes, netting, tire cord, and dozens of other items. So many uses were found for nylon that some referred to it as the "fiber that won the war." When the war ended, nylon stockings were brought back and quickly replaced silk and rayon in the stocking market.
This is the first pair of experimental nylon stockings made by Union Hosiery Company for Du Pont in 1937. The leg of the stocking is nylon, the upper welt, toe, and heel are silk, and cotton is found in the seam. The nylon section of the stocking would not take the silk dye, and dyed to black instead of brown.
Date made
ca 1937
1937
maker
Union Hosiery Co.
ID Number
TE.T12049
accession number
227591
catalog number
T12049
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943
maker
Borino, Albert N.
ID Number
2010.0049.01
catalog number
2010.0049.01
accession number
2010.0049
While leg makeup was commercially available since the 1920s, it wasn't until rationing was introduced during the Second World War that leg makeup became an essential commodity for many American women.Silk and nylon became virtually unatainable, so, unable to procure silk or nylon
Description
While leg makeup was commercially available since the 1920s, it wasn't until rationing was introduced during the Second World War that leg makeup became an essential commodity for many American women.
Silk and nylon became virtually unatainable, so, unable to procure silk or nylon stockings, many women resorted to painting their legs with products such as this Velva Leg Film. Some industrious ladies even painted black lines down the back of their legs to mimic the seams of hosiery.
Velva Leg film was manufactured in the Nineteen Forties by Elizabeth Arden, a Canadian-born American businesswoman known for her beauty salons and cosmetic products.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1943
product launch
1933
maker
Elizabeth Arden Inc.
ID Number
1985.0481.384
catalog number
1985.0481.384
accession number
1985.0481
A powder box, round, with a lid made of black and white laminated celluloid. The box is glass. An Art Moderne design, part of which is a metal shield-shaped insert, on the lid. The box is unmarked.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
A powder box, round, with a lid made of black and white laminated celluloid. The box is glass. An Art Moderne design, part of which is a metal shield-shaped insert, on the lid. The box is unmarked.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920-1935
ID Number
2006.0098.0904
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0904
Mrs. Bertrand Cohn purchased this "Delphos" dress in Paris in 1936. When she returned to New York, she wore it to the Metropolitan Opera with silver shoes and a diamond necklace.
Description
Mrs. Bertrand Cohn purchased this "Delphos" dress in Paris in 1936. When she returned to New York, she wore it to the Metropolitan Opera with silver shoes and a diamond necklace. She later donated the dress to the Smithsonian.
The designer, Mariano Fortuny, was born in Granada, Spain, in 1871 to a family of artists. After his father’s death in 1874, the Fortunys lived in Paris and Spain and eventually settled in Venice, Italy. Inspired by his surroundings and encouraged by his family, Mariano became a painter. Fortuny's artistic interest covered a range of creative endeavors, from sculpture, photography, and interior design to stage and set design and stage lighting. His interest in dyes and chemistry led him to textile and costume design, for which he is best known today.
Influenced by Orientalism and neoclassicism, Fortuny created lush and decorative fabrics. Using a mixture of hand and screen printing to decorate the fabrics allowed him the freedom to experiment and design. His most famous design was the "Delphos," a classic pleated tea gown he began making around 1907 and continued until his death. Named after a Greek classical sculpture, the Delphos dress was a simple column of vertical pleats permanently set in silk by a process never successfully duplicated. Fortuny considered his dress concepts to be inventions, and in 1909 he patented the pleating process and the machine he invented and copy-righted the design of the dress. These dresses were meant to be stored by rolling them lengthwise, twisting them into a ball and placing them in an oval miniature hat box (we have the one that came with this dress), thus preserving the pleats and keeping the shape of the dress.
Avant-garde American dancers Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis wore Fortunys because of their interest in the body and movement. Originally made to be worn as teas gowns for entertaining at home, the gowns were seen outside the home by the 1930s.
This two-piece tubular cut tea gown is constructed of a finely pleated rose-colored silk. It is full length with openings at the side seams to form armholes. The wide scoop neckline has a drawstring encased along the inside edge, and there are two rows of stitching on either side of the shoulder seams. Silk cording evenly threaded with yellow glass beads with black and red stripes is stitched along the side seams and the armhole edges. The separate belt is made of rose-colored silk painted with a silver metallic pattern of trailing oak leaves and dots.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1936
user
Mrs. Bertrand W. Cohn
designer
Fortuny, Mariano
ID Number
CS.322625.002
catalog number
322625.002
accession number
322625
322625
A hand mirror made of black and white laminated celluloid. On the mirror back is an Art Moderne design, part of which is a metal, shield-shaped insert. The mirror is unmarked.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
A hand mirror made of black and white laminated celluloid. On the mirror back is an Art Moderne design, part of which is a metal, shield-shaped insert. The mirror is unmarked.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920-1935
ID Number
2006.0098.0918
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0918
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
1987.0608.11
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.11
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
1987.0608.06
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.06
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
1987.0608.05
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.05
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
1987.0608.08
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.08
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
1987.0608.04
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.04
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
1987.0608.10
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.10
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
1987.0608.02
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.02
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
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
1987.0608.03
accession number
1987.0608
catalog number
1987.0608.03
Souvenir pin commemorating the New York World's Fair (1939-1940.) The pin features the Westinghouse Electric Company's robotic mascot "Elektro."Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Souvenir pin commemorating the New York World's Fair (1939-1940.) The pin features the Westinghouse Electric Company's robotic mascot "Elektro."
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1939
Associated Date
1940
1939
ID Number
1989.0438.1482A
catalog number
1989.0438.1482A
accession number
1989.0438

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