The clothing collection offers a cross culture comparison of garments from around the world by taking a closer look at the garments’ styles, materials, and construction techniques. For example, the Mexican, Finnish, and American girl’s dresses show similarities in the silhouette and differences in the materials and the cultural styles. Clothing materials can range from synthetic fibers like polyester or natural materials like English wool, Japanese silk, or Egyptian cotton, all which tell stories of material production and global trade. Lastly, the clothing construction displays the craftsmanship that goes into making clothes. Clothing was first hand sewn and then transitioned to machine sewn clothes. Because of sewing machines, clothing became mass produced and commercialized. By studying clothing, researchers learn more about subjects such as social history, technology, consumerism, design, and culture.
To explore and learn more about the Clothing Collection, visit the Japanese House website and the Native American Collection.
Brittany Contratto is the Growdon Collections Intern for spring 2015. She is currently finishing her Master of the Arts in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University. While at Boston Children’s Museum, she focused on digitizing and rehousing the clothing and Australian artifacts.