The clothes we choose to wear are deeply tied to our identities and influence the ways we interact with the world around us. Textiles and clothing give us a lens through which to view notions of labor and the relationship between clothing and the body. The history of clothing reveals information about culture, class, and broader societal values. It helps us to understand methods of production, the availability and use of materials, changes in silhouette and style, and so much more. Clothing is one of the most relatable examples of material culture we can engage with because it’s something we all have personal experience with.
While the value of historic clothing might seem obvious, clothing and textiles have been frequently overlooked by museums and collecting institutions. For some, the study of clothing can often seem frivolous. The ways we think about clothing are often rooted in associations to gender. This has impacted the status of historic clothing in museums and in the minds of the public. When compared to other categories of material culture, clothing collections do not receive the same level of recognition or institutional attention as other kinds of historic collections.