Fashion Birthday: Patrick Kelly
  Happy birthday to Patrick Kelly, born on September 24, 1954! This button-embellished ensemble is a wonderful example of Kelly's exuberant, playful aesthetic. Using a riot of mismatched buttons, Kelly transformed a simple wool sheath into a... Read Article ››

Wool and linen bodice, c. 1904
This bodice from our Study Collection is something of a puzzle. Though its silhouette concurs with the mid-1910s, the embellishment is somewhat idiosyncratic, suggesting that the wearer had a very specific sartorial vision. Consisting of an open-front bodice... Read Article ››

Fashion Birthday: Elsa Schiaparelli
Happy birthday to Elsa Schiaparelli! Born in Rome on September 10, 1890, Schiaparelli would be 123 years old today. One of the twentieth-century’s most revered fashion designs, her work is admired for its wit and creativity. Schiaparelli’s career in... Read Article ››

Real photo postcard, c. 1910
Don't you love this wonderful photo of three women posed in a rowboat? Unlike formal nineteenth century portraits, these women are posed in a whimsical setting—a wooden rowboat. Despite the casual situation, they all look a bit ill at ease! Maybe... Read Article ››