In this week’s blog, Costume Society News Editor Dr Babette Radclyffe-Thomas reviews the Real Clothes, Real Lives exhibition at The New York Historical.
Women’s everyday clothing took centre stage at the New York Historical’s latest fashion exhibition, Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 years of what women wore. Curated by Rebecca Shea and Kiki Smith, Curators for the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection and Anna Danziger Halperin and Keren Ben-Horin, Curators for the Center for Women’s History, the exhibition showcased garments and accessories from the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection, an archive of everyday clothing choices accessible to working American women. This marked the first time that the museum and clothing collection had collaborated on an exhibition.
Image credit Glenn Castellano, The New York Historical
“Each thread and length of fabric on view in this exhibition provides insightful clues about the women who wore these garments,” said Anna Danziger Halperin, director of the Center for Women’s History at The New York Historical. “By shining a light on the diverse roles women have played and the clothes they wore, we hope to underscore the social and cultural shifts that continue to shape our past. We are delighted to present these garments as tangible connections to the rich and complex history of women.”
“If we acknowledge garments of the past that have been overlooked, we honor the lives of the women who wore them,” said Kiki Smith, director of the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection. “In the words of the Spanish writer Antonio Muñoz Molina, ‘We see things if we know they exist.’ This exhibition celebrates the significance of these everyday garments and reveals why they are important to save.”
The exhibition had two rotations and displayed over 430 items, including both rotations of the exhibition and images, AV audio guide recordings, and physical objects. During each phase, the gallery featured 29 mannequins, two cases with additional garments displayed flat, and many other accessories and objects such as garments ranging from a homemade Quinceañera dress from the 1980s to Sylvia Plath’s WWII-era Girl Scouts uniform.
Underlining the exhibition was the question ‘what can clothing tell you about the real lives of women?’ Organised thematically, the exhibition comprised five themes opening with ‘Home: All work and no pay” which focused on women’s daily household chores. Here, a plaid work apron ca. 1900-1910 and a portable lockstitch sewing machine ca. 1890, were particular dress history highlights.
The second section of the exhibition ‘Service: Capable and Accomplished’ focused on uniforms, before the third section ‘Public Dress: In good taste’, showcased how women for the last two centuries have abided by dress codes. ‘Rites of passage: what she wore’ explored the important role clothing plays in marking significant life events and includes mourning earrings and a pin set made from enamel, onyx, and human hair. The final section ‘pushing the boundaries: rebel wear’ focused on how women have challenged societal norms.
Unusually, the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection includes garments that are rarely saved or displayed in a museum setting, and most of the garments on show were modest, inexpensive and showed clear signs of use. Each garment was used to examine history, economics, technology and how social class, race, gender, all impacted dress. Many garments were designed to be worn at home and showed the toil of women’s lives.
“Clothing has always played a crucial role in women’s lives, reflecting their evolving roles, identities, and social conditions,” said Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical. “This exhibition celebrates the impressive history and untold narratives embedded our clothing. We hope visitors come away with a deeper understanding of the intersection of fashion, culture, and women’s enduring spirit.”
The exhibition ended June 22, 2025.
Image credit Glenn Castellano, The New York Historical
