Cabana set, c. 1955
  Though "cabana set" sounds like the nickname for an elite group of beach hopping travellers, it actually refers to a matching or coordinating set of man's swim trunks and sport shirt or light jacket. Though California swimwear... Read Article ››

Lounge jacket, 1880s
  Lounge or at-home jacket Silk with cotton embroidery 1880s Museum Purchase 2008.5.34 We are excited to announce that our 1880s embroidered silk lounge jacket will be featured in The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900. Opening April 2 at... Read Article ››

Images of Men: A Look Through Fragrance
  Dani Killam, Assistant Registrar at the FIDM Museum, brings you this post examining how masculine archetypes are reinforced through the design and packaging of fragrance bottles. The bottles discussed in this post are part of a larger exhibit currently... Read Article ››

Man’s dressing gown, 1905-1915
  Throughout the 19th and into the first decade of the 20th century, mainstream formal and business dress for men was a black suit and light colored (often white) shirt paired with a black bow-tie. Constructed from durable wool and lacking all... Read Article ››

Sewing patterns from the FIDM Museum
Within the FIDM Museum collection are a number of smaller mini-collections. Some, like the Rudi Gernreich Archive, consist of large groupings of objects that document the work of a specific designer. Others, like our photograph collection, are less focused... Read Article ››

Norfolk jacket
First appearing in the 1860s, the Norfolk jacket is a durable, loose fitting jacket designed to provide ease of movement to hunters and sportsmen. Deriving its name from the Duke of Norfolk, the jacket was reputedly created specifically for the Duke at his... Read Article ››

Masculine dress?
In the early 20th century, women who chose to wear bifurcated garments (i.e. trousers) outside of the gymnasium or off the playing field risked public censure. Though women had been wearing full, almost skirt-like trousers for sporting activities since the... Read Article ››

Military influence
Military inspired fashion has been getting a lot of attention lately. March 2010 issues of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue (both American and British) feature fashion editorials focusing on garments in khaki and shades of olive, while a recent New York Times... Read Article ››

Platform boots
Platform boots1972-73Museum Purchase2006.5.3AB With a heel of about 5 1/2" and a platform sole roughly 3 1/2" thick, these dramatic boots are an extreme example of the platform shoes, sandals and boots popular in the first half of the 1970s. Perhaps even more... Read Article ››

Handbag variety
Like shoes, handbags and purses straddle the line between functional and decorative objects. Though many women (and some men) consider them necessary containers for objects such as keys or money, the sheer diversity of available styles demonstrates that... Read Article ››

Menswear
Like many museums that focus on dress and textiles, the FIDM Museum is constantly searching for compelling menswear for our collection. Most 19th and 20th century menswear is relatively straightforward; it tends to favor function over form, resulting in... Read Article ››
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