FIDM Museum joins Facebook!
We have a Facebook profile! Become a fan of the FIDM Museum on Facebook, and you’ll receive an update every time we post to our blog. You’ll also have access to additional links, images and updates related to fashion, fashion history and museums.... Read Article ››

Dress form, mannequin or floating form?
Regular readers of this blog have probably noticed the variety of forms we use to display objects from the FIDM Museum collection. When we photograph an object for in-house documentary purposes, it's usually dressed on a headless dress form or mannequin.... Read Article ››

Evening glamour, c. 1922
Evening dress c. 1922 Gift of Laura Stoneman 96.657.2 During the 1920s, nightlife was an important aspect of popular culture. In the United States, the Prohibition of alcohol led to the rise of speakeasies, where patrons could dine, dance and drink in an... Read Article ››

Pantsuit dressing, c. 1972
As described in this recent post on our Sonia Rykiel tunic, women gradually adopted trousers as everyday dress in the 1970s. While the Sonia Rykiel tunic demonstrates a somewhat ambivalent acceptance of trousers, this tan wool pants suit from our Study... Read Article ››

Boy’s jacket and vest, 1870-1874
In the nineteenth-century, children were idealized as "perfect beings who were not only without sin, but who offered adults a model of unworldly goodness."1 As children grew towards emotional and physical maturation, they inevitably lost their... Read Article ››

Sybil Connolly
The handling of homespun fabric in a sophisticated manner is the forte of Sybil Connolly.1In 1953, Irish designer Sybil Connolly was "discovered" by a group of American department store buyers and fashion reporters visiting Ireland. Having worked as... Read Article ››

Yoshiki Hishinuma
Popular conceptions of Japanese textile design usually focus on textiles similar to the sky-blue stenciled and embroidered silk seen in this 19th century kimono dressing gown. Made of natural fibers and featuring patterns and motifs borrowed from the natural... Read Article ››

Texture in fashion
Color and pattern are usually the first aspects of a garment to catch the eye, closely followed by silhouette. But what about texture? Though texture might not be the first thing we notice, it plays an important role in establishing the mood of a garment.... Read Article ››

Irene Castle dancing cap
Between 1911 and 1917, Irene and Vernon Castle were at the forefront of a "craze" for social dancing. Usually called "modern dance" at the time, social dance was promoted as form of healthy and enjoyable recreation. Accompanied by lively... Read Article ››