V is for Valentino
  You've probably heard that retired couturier Valentino Garavani (b. 1932) will soon launch a virtual museum showcasing highlights from his five decades in fashion. Slated to launch on December 5, the virtual museum will use 3-D technology to... Read Article ››

Silk plush top hat, c. 1855-60
  In the mid-nineteenth century, a gentleman of distinction wouldn't have dared to leave his house without a hat. The most popular style of men's hat was the glossy, silk plush top hat, sometimes called a chimney pot or stovepipe. Equated with... Read Article ››

Duck dress, c. 1930
  Day dress c. 1930 Gift of Steven Porterfield S2007.897.39 The charming idiosyncrasy of this dress always gets a smile. From a distance, it is simply a black day dress with a 1920s silhouette and bright red applied decoration. But take a closer look... Read Article ››

Court gown and train, 1907
  Ladies attending Their Majesties' Courts will appear in Full Dress, with Trains and Plumes.1   Court gown & train London, EnglandRedfern1907Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Yvonne Hummel2008.932.19AB Worn only during the ceremony in... Read Article ››

Holly’s Harp hand-painted evening gown
  Evening gown Holly's Harp 1974 Gift of Gloria Strasburger 99c.059.09 The sinuous lines of Holly Harp's evening wear hearken back to the form-fitting, bias cut gowns of the 1930s. Her career began in the hippie milieu of late 1960s Los Angeles.... Read Article ››

Holding history in my hands
  In today's post, Christina Johnson, associate curator and resident photography expert, describes her long-standing fascination with historic photography. She also discusses the conservation of a mid-nineteenth century ambrotype portraying two... Read Article ››

Research resources, part 2
  It's been a long time since we've talked about research resources! Our last post on this topic was in February 2010--practically a millenia in terms of how fast information appears on the internet. All of the resources we suggested in that... Read Article ››

Congrats to our FABULOUS! winners
  Thanks so much to all of you who entered our FABULOUS! giveaway! We loved reading about your favorite fashion books. Many of you listed Fashion from the Kyoto Costume Institute as a top pick. The Fashion in Detail books from the V&A Museum were... Read Article ››

Judith Leiber minaudière
  Minaudière Judith Leiber 1990-92 Museum Purchase 2005.5.62A The name Judith Leiber is synonymous with small, bejeweled evening bags called minaudières. Small by design, a minaudière is meant to be carried easily in the hand, containing only a few... Read Article ››

Madeleine Vionnet evening gown
  Evening gown Madeleine Vionnet c. 1936-1938 Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Mrs. Tonian Hohberg 2008.5.50AB The first time I saw this Madeleine Vionnet halter evening gown, I had a hard time reconciling it with my knowledge of Vionnet's work.... Read Article ››

FABULOUS! giveaway
  We're giving away FABULOUS! prizes! Enter to win a copy of the FABULOUS! catalogue or a set of FABULOUS! notecards and paper dolls by leaving a comment on this blog post. In your comment, tell us about your favorite fashion-related book. Two... Read Article ››

Plaid platform shoes, c. 1972
  Fashion history is rife with examples of women borrowing from menswear. Bloomers (the nineteenth-century adaption of male trousers), riding habits (adapted from men's riding habits) and the 1980s "power suit" are just a few examples. But... Read Article ››
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