Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Costumes

The first official exhibition exclusively of Star Wars costumes, "Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume," opens at Seattle's EMP Museum on January 31, 2015.

Inside the Three-Decade Evolution of “Star Wars” Costumes

A Smithsonian traveling exhibition offers an unprecedented glimpse at costumes from a galaxy far, far away

Tony Award winner Geoffrey Holder's ingenious design used a skillet to complete the Tin Man’s hat in the 1975 Broadway production of The Wiz.

Breaking Ground

The Tin Man’s Hat From “The Wiz” Offers Just a Hint of the Musical’s Beating Heart

When the all-black musical production opened on Broadway 40 years ago, critics scoffed, but audiences embraced it

Fred Savage (right) and Josh Saviano (left) of "The Wonder Years" reunited at the American History Museum on December 2, 2014 to donate items, including the New York Jets jacket shown here in a publicity photo from around 1988.

Fred Savage and “The Wonder Years” Cast Reflect on Why Their Show Still Matters

The cast and crew of “The Wonder Years” reunited at the American History Museum today to donate costumes and other artifacts

A baby penguin and its parent greet the disguised rover.

New Research

Rovers Disguised as Baby Penguins Can Quietly Infiltrate Penguin Colonies

Normally wary penguins seem unfazed when there’s a smartly dressed robot in their midst

Turn of the century thespians play their roles wearing Roman togas.

Halloween

No Costume? Grab A Sheet And Rock a Toga

Costume designer Mariah Hale explains how to wrap the perfect last-minute toga

New to the collections: Actor Reeve Carney's red and blue spandex bodysuit, which he wore while starring in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

‘Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark’ Suit Receives a Lifetime Encore at the American History Museum

After a two-year run on Broadway, the web-slinging stage show’s iconic superhero costume is heading to the Smithsonian.

Jessica Brown Findley as Lady Sybil, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary

The Costumes of “Downton Abbey” Now on View at Delaware’s Winterthur Museum

Step in front of the camera and enter the Grantham household in a new exhibit in Wilmington

None

The Story of Elizabeth Keckley, Former-Slave-Turned-Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

A talented seamstress and savvy businesswoman, she catered to Washington’s socialites

The Way We Wore team, from left, Jascmeen Bush, Shelly Lyn, owner Doris Raymond, Sarah Bergman, Kyle Blackmon

A Refreshing Take on Fashion Television: A Q&A with L.A. Frock Stars’ Star Doris Raymond

A new series brings high-end style to vintage wear

None

The Masked Merriment of Mardi Gras

For centuries, the day’s revelry has featured the liberated feeling of hiding in plain view

A History of Sequins from King Tut to the King of Pop

As you don your sparkly holiday fashions, think of the trend’s start in an Egyptian tomb

None

Your Guide to Selecting the Best (or Is It Worst?) Ugly Christmas Sweater

Holiday cheer with a touch of nostalgia celebrates garish knitwear from the 1940s to ‘80s

Sean Connery getting fitted for one of his classic suit jackets by Anthony Sinclair.

James Bond’s Dapper Dinner Jackets

With their origins at a London bespoke tailor, the suits of 007 are sharp—almost as sharp as a dagger shoe

Pumpkinhead and cat(?), date unknown

12 Creepy Kids in Halloween Masks

When their faces are obscured, these children transform into frightening little creatures

None

The Witches of Halloween Past

Sexy or scary, the outfit has cast a spell on costume wearers going back many years

None

This 105-Year-Old Made Marilyn Monroe’s Earrings

Meet Sadie Mintz, a jewelry maker who saw her handiwork on the cover of LIFE magazine

Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors original label featured a topless cowgirl (left) who got a fringed bolero in 1963.

As a Matter of Fact: Jockeys, Tartans and Cowboy Glam

The real stories behind some fashion fads and classics hold some surprising twists

The 1984 U.S. Olympic team march into the Los Angeles Coliseum during the opening ceremony for the 1984 Summer Olympics.

As the Olympic Games Conclude, a Look Back at U.S. Opening Ceremony Outfits

The photos tell the story here, as Team USA has always had an eccentric taste in its uniforms

None

Wearing Wool, All Summer Long

Layered, corseted summer garments kept women proper and fashionable, if not cool

None

The Indelible Mister Rogers

Besides how to be a good neighbor, Mr. Rogers taught us other lessons, especially about the impact of a comforting change of clothes

Page 3 of 4