NY Historical Society: Real Clothes, Real Lives

Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore, the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection

This groundbreaking exhibition at the New York Historical Society examines the everyday clothing of ordinary women, from hard-worn house dresses to psychedelic micro minis and modern suits to fast-food workers’ uniforms. On view in the Joyce B. Cowin Gallery of Women’s History and showcasing items from the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection that are on view in a museum for the first time. This exhibition traces how women’s roles have changed and evolved dramatically over the decades across the spectrum of race and class. Each piece of clothing holds rich stories about the woman who wore it and who made it. Some are one-of-a-kind pieces; others are examples of clever making-do, and many are influenced by popular styles and trends of their era. 
 

The tour will take place on Wednesday, December 11th, at 1 pm. The group should gather in the lobby of the museum where Roberta Krakoff will meet you. 

The tour is limited to 12 people. Tickets are $20 paid to CHV. If you cannot join us after registering here, please cancel online or notify us by email at [email protected]. This will allow us to include someone from the waiting list. Tickets should be purchased ahead of time.

Event Host: Roberta Krakoff