Regular schmegular clothing isn’t typically the impetus for museum exhibitions, but the New-York Historical Society will be embracing the ordinary with its fall show.“Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore, the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection” will highlight the everyday clothing of American women. Bowing Sept. 27 and running through June 22, the show explores more than fashion.
The liberal arts school counts Julia Child, Gloria Steinem and Sylvia Plath among its notable alumnae. Created to advance the understanding of women of all classes through the study of their dress, the school’s clothing collection fosters interdisciplinary research, inquiry and connections through the clothing. The collection is a resource for students and scholars of costume design, the history of dress and material culture, art, curatorial practice and history.