Author: Fay Mitchell
Long, short, fitted, full and many looks in between have captivated fashionable women over the centuries. You can take a look back at fashion at one of three museums within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources this holiday season.
“The Shape of Fashion,” from the 1800s to 1900s at the N.C. Museum of History, bridal looks in “I Do! Weddings in the Albemarle, 1831-2015,” at the Museum of the Albemarle, and haute couture from 1958-2009 in “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of the Ebony Fashion Fair,” at the N.C. Museum of Art, showcase examples of the trendy, the timeless, and how clothes capture the culture of the day.
If you’re a lady – or a gentleman – curious about how 1860s bustles in skirts worked, or why women would wear them, or how World War I influenced the length of wedding gowns, or power dressing in the 1990s, take a fashion trip this season. “The Shape of Fashion” at the Museum of History and “I Do! Weddings in the Albemarle” are free exhibits. “Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of the Ebony Fashion Fair” is ticketed.