The New-York Historical Society’s “Real Clothes, Real Lives” Is Not (Necessarily) A Fashion Exhibition
But, in fact, most of the pieces presented bear no label whatsoever. A work apron, ca. 1895-1915 A depression-era housedress, ca. A Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress, 1977 A nearby photo of a contemporaneous textile mill worker displays the look in situ. If a picture tells a thousand stories, so too can a dress. And for all the merits of fantasy in fashion scholarship, reality tells a much better story....