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Best Dressed: Fashion Trends and Famous Wearers

While the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is home to the renowned First Ladies' gown collection, dresses can be found throughout the Smithsonian's museums. These dresses reflect fashion trends, pop culture history, and their wearers. 


  • National Museum of American History 132 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • National Museum of African American History and Culture 50 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum 15 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Anacostia Community Museum 9 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • NMNH - Anthropology Dept. 3 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Main garments 31 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Entire Body 28 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Costume 14 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Dress, 1-Piece 10 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Costume accessories 8 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Dress, 1-Piece; Entire Body; Main Dress; Female 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Belts (costume accessories) 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Dress, 1-piece 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Dress, 2-Piece; Entire Body; Main Dress; Female 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • African Americans 54 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Latin Americans 4 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Asian Pacific Americans 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Chinese Americans 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Choctaw Indians 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Indian 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Indians of North America 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Mexican Americans 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Native Americans 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Spaniards 1 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1920s 9 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1930s 8 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1940s 11 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1950s 20 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1960s 26 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1970s 18 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1980s 21 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 1990s 21 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 2000s 12 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • 2010s 12 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • United States 86 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • New York City 41 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • North and Central America 38 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • New York 22 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • California 13 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Los Angeles 10 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • District of Columbia 7 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • France 6 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Paris 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • USA 5 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection 50 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Culture and the Arts: Entertainment 40 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Home and Community Life: Costume 40 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Clothing & Accessories 38 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Clothing - Fashion and Historical 30 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Black Fashion Museum Collection 28 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Clothing - Costume 23 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Popular Entertainment 21 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • National Museum of American History 20 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Political History: Political History, White House/First Ladies Collection 18 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Clothing and dress 88 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Women 51 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Design 43 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Dress accessories 38 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • First ladies 35 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Presidents' spouses 35 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Fashion 33 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Costume 26 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Amusements 23 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Music 22 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Not determined 164 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • CC0 39 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
  • Usage conditions apply 12 Filter by term plus Exclude term minus

Filter Settings

Included:

  • Remove Resource Type: Dresses (garments) close

Costume dress for Lady in Orange from for colored girls... on Broadway

Nurse's uniform dress worn by Pauline Brown Payne

Black beaded dress designed by Zelda Wynn and worn by Ella Fitzgerald

Black dress worn by Oprah Winfrey as Sofia in The Color Purple

Woman's Dress, 2002

Purple dress and white belt worn by Dionne Warwick

Rose pink shirt dress and belt designed by Arthur McGee

Teal waitress uniform worn by Halle Berry in the film Monster's Ball

Feedsack Dress

1-piece dress

Michelle Obama’s Inaugural Gown, 2009

Dress, worn by Ruth Fernandez

Black beaded Flapper Dress

short sleeved knee length African geometric pattern dress

light blue dress with sequenced beads at top

Dress worn by Jamie Farr as Maxwell Klinger on television series, M*A*S*H

dress with matching belted raincoat

Two piece dress, including skirt and halter top worn on the TV show "The Wonder Years"

blue sleeveless knee length dress with blue metallic thread

Caroline Harrison's 1889 Inaugural Gown

black knee length dress with gold & light blue beading

Margarita Lora's Dress

dress worn for "hippie" wedding on the TV show "The Wonder Years."

Dress worn by Olga Guillot

Dress

Queen's Ball Attire- Gown

China Poblana Dress

from Wilderness Embodied Couture collection

Dress worn by Mary Wilson

Dress

1-piece dress

Dress

Woman's floral print dress

Woman's Calico Dress

Elphaba "Wicked Witch" dress made for original Broadway production of Wicked


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