Up the winding staircase leading to the second floor of the Chicago History Museum, a time capsule of Chicago fashion history awaits visitors.
The museum’s newest exhibition, “Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective,” is timed to honor the 50th anniversary of the museum’s costume council. The council’s curators gather clothes worn, designed, made, and sold in the city to help uncover Chicago’s fashion history and share the compelling stories told through the styles.
“Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective”
Through 7/27/25: Tue-Sat 9:30 AM-4:30 PM, Sun noon-5 PM, Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark, chicagohistory.org/exhibition/dressed-in-history-a-costume-collection-retrospective, admission $19 adults, $17 seniors, $17 students aged 19-22, free for members and Illinois children under 18
The collection dates all the way back to the 1920s, and all of the displays on view were handpicked by former curators of the collection with the help of current curator Jessica Pushor. After the curators made their selections, it was up to Pushor to pull together an effective story to share the city’s fashion history.
“We wanted to put things on display in the exhibit that had not been on display before because so much of this collection has been underutilized and only a tiny bit of things go on exhibit,” Pushor said.
And what a story it tells. At the show’s entrance are key pieces made by Chicago designers, such as one of artist Nick Cave’s “Soundsuits,” or items popularized by Chicago public figures, as with the first Air Jordans.
One standout is Patrick Kelly’s red lipstick print women’s suit made for Dorothy Fuller, the previous director of Chicago Apparel Center. It wouldn’t look out of place on Fran Drescher’s character in The Nanny.
Credit: Chicago History Museum, ICHi-179321
Passing through the entrance, the show flows into everyday wear—also known way back when as sportswear. Here, men’s, women’s, and children’s everyday clothes and swimwear alike are on display from different time periods.
On view in nearby display cases are samples of Chicago’s early mail-order catalogs, which showcase the city’s rich history in manufacturing and retail. These clippings tell more about the city’s roots in the fashion manufacturing and retail industries. One example of these catalogs includes the 1994 edition of E Style, featuring colorful and patterned designs modeled by Black women.
“It was great to be able to pull out things from the collection of all of those [sewing] patterns, the mail-order catalogs, and talk about the history here,” Pushor said. “[Chicago] was the center of mail-order catalogs because of our railroad system, so everyone could order stuff and it would come from Chicago. . . . It’s probably not super well-known, especially outside of the city of Chicago, but being able to tell these smaller stories and exhibit [it] like that was fabulous.”
An ode to luxury streetwear is also another point of interest as it explores popular 1990s to early 2000s styles, including logomania, denim, and the lasting impact of civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X.
The exhibition dives deeper into the city’s history with haute couture and designer fashion, with early fashion design illustrations on view by both lesser-known and familiar fashion designers.
One display notes Chicago’s early relationship with fashion designer Christian Dior, dating to the 1940s. In 1947, Dior would debut his “new look” with his femininity-celebrating “Corolla” collection in Chicago. After this promotion, Chicago became one of the largest importers of Dior garments, and the collection was made available to residents at two high-end retailers, Marshall Field’s 28 Shop and the Stanley Korshak boutiques.
Courtesy Chicago History Museum
Aside from highlighting known designers such as Dior, Coco Chanel, and Cristóbal Balenciaga, the collection also spotlights the Chicago designers who have impacted fashion as much as these global designers.
One notable piece is a small, beaded black hat made by Benjamin “Mad Hatter” Green. Green, alongside his sister, is best known for crafting whimsical and elegant hats for women in the 1920s. His hats were worn by celebrities like Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor.
On a more contemporary note, Maria Pinto’s ensembles from her limited edition M2057 Gang collection are featured in a corner of the exhibition. This collection was launched in 2013, and since then, Pinto has continued to release new items. Continuing her mission to craft accessible clothing for all, Pinto’s boutique with all her latest collections is on 710 N. Wabash.
The most interesting fashion invention out of the Chicago designers would have to be Maybelle Shearer’s famous feather fans made for burlesque dancer Sally Rand. Rand used these during her performances to play “peekaboo” with her body, manipulating her fans in front and behind her during her dance to Claude Debussy’s “Clair De Lune.”
Other highlights are the historical clothing on display, with gowns worn in the early 1800s, and items worn by the fashionable man. A standout piece is Jon Niehl’s donation of his men’s burlesque costume from the early 1970s featuring a light-blue top with golden and red embellishments and a pair of gold embroidered, red pants.
The exhibition is a must-see for lovers of fashion from all decades of history, city history buffs, or those simply looking to learn something new. That’s Pushor’s goal at least.
“You don’t have to be interested in fashion in order to learn and enjoy going to [the exhibit.] We have put in a lot of fun little stories and interesting facts and pull from different areas. My hope is that, if someone goes along with someone, you will still enjoy it and see how important clothing [is] as an object,” Pushor said.