Fashion

“People who want to have fun,” Starr Hagenbring says. “These are fun, beautiful clothes. Seeing beautiful things makes you happy, and that’s what I do."

Wearing Your Art On Your Sleeve

These three artists come from a long tradition of creating wearable art. See many more at the Smithsonian's upcoming Craft2Wear show this weekend

Brooke Shields filming a shampoo commercial

How to Pose Like a 1980s Model

A collection of clips from real videos proves to be silly — and not just due to the fashion of the 1980s

A Brief History of Awareness Ribbons

Emmy Awards attendees sported green ribbons this year. But can ribbons really affect climate change?

Priscilla of Boston, 1973

From Sublime to Wacky, Nothing Says Fashion Forward Like a Collection of Historic Bridal Gowns

An unforgettable—but not timeless—walk down the aisle from the archives of the now defunct Priscilla of Boston's Bridal Shop

This Computer Can Track How Fashion Spreads From the Runway to the Street

Researchers created an algorithm to recognize and analyze fashion on the runway and in the street

The Color White Has a Dark Past

From race to wealth to cleanliness, the color's connotations have a long history

Thought to be the world's oldest existing running shoe, this footwear dates back to the early 1860s.

Running Shoes Date Back to the 1860s, and Other Revelations From the Brooklyn Museum's Sneaker Show

A show on sneaker culture at the Brooklyn Museum hypes its modern Nikes, but perhaps most fascinating are the historic kicks that started it all

Adidas designed a shoe with bits of ocean garbage and illegal fishing nets. Would you wear it?

Adidas Just Made a Running Shoe Out of Ocean Trash

The apparel company recently released a prototype that incorporates recycled ocean plastic

How George Washington Did His Hair

Despite the powder and curls it wasn't a wig at all

The washable knitwear c. 1950s suit by Claire McCardell resides in the collections of the National Museum of American History.

What a 1950s Fashion Maven Might Teach Us About What To Wear

When it was time to suit up for work, politics or social engagements, Claire McCardell's fans embraced her chic, but comfortable style

Aquascutum, stemming from Latin for "water" and "shield," was a leading trenchcoat manufacturer.

The Classy Rise of the Trench Coat

World War I brought with it a broad array of societal changes, including men's fashion

Nude dancer Micheline Bernardini models the first bikini in Paris, France.

How the Summer of Atomic Bomb Testing Turned the Bikini Into a Phenomenon

The scanty suit’s explosive start is intimately tied to the Cold War and the nuclear arms race

Swedish designer Sighten Harrgard and his fiancee model a unisex belted jacket and scarf with wide-legged double-knit trousers—March 1969.

How His'n'Her Ponchos Became A Thing: A History Of Unisex Fashion

"Unisex" was rarely used before the fashion trend hit it big in the late 1960s

The first pair of experimental nylon stockings made by Union Hosiery Company for Du Pont in 1937 resides in the Smithsonian collections.

How Nylon Stockings Changed the World

The quest to replace natural silk led to the very first fully synthetic fiber and revolutionized the products we depend on

Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine and Empress Theodora could almost switch robes in this print

Gender-Neutral Clothes Are Trendy, But Not New — Humans Dressed Similarly for Centuries

Fashion with distinct looks for men and women is a relatively recent, Western-centric phenomenon

Today nylon adds stretch to fishnets (worn here by Shelley Winters) and a variety of legwear.

Why Nylons' Run is Over

They were a craze when they debuted 75 years ago, but have since been replaced by new social norms

This structure serves as everything from a climbing wall to a bench to a meditation space.

A Bus Stop Climbing Wall and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Unbreakable shoelaces? They come in stylish colors and patterns

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Meet Doris Raymond, the Fairy Godmother of Vintage Clothing

A Smithsonian Channel series features the team behind Hollywood's beloved vintage boutique

What Is the Most Influential Oscar Dress of All-Time?

Far from being a sideshow of the awards hoopla, the fashion of the Academy Awards means big business for designers

The Zboard 2 is an electric skateboard that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Five Wild Ideas: From a Vest for Weight Loss to an Electric Skateboard

Plus, building blocks for children inspired by Archimedes

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