This past week the Chicago History Museum launched their Costume and Textile Digital Collection online. I have been having a wonderful time browsing through their lovely historic clothing and all the pretty dresses I'll never get to wear. High resolution photographs allow you to zoom in very close to examine the outfits and multiple photos allow you to get a 360° look at the pieces. Below the images are descriptions of the costumes and some include the family legends that have accompanied them through time. Some people procrastinate on Facebook, I procrastinate by looking at digital collections. To each her own.
This comes around the same time that news breaks about some very contemporary-looking bras discovered in the rubbish heap of a Austrian castle. Radio carbon dating places their age sometime around the end of the 14th to the second half of the 15th century. You can read more about these amazing finds in this article entitled "Medieval Lingerie" from the August 2012 issue of BBC History Magazine.
And if the article doesn't satisfy your need to learn more about historic underwear, then I would encourage you all to visit the Missouri History Museum to see the current exhibition Underneath It All, which looks at undergarments from the late 19th century to the 21st century, and some more pretty dresses. I did a lot of work for this show in my capacity as Exhibitions Registrar Intern, and I am very proud of it. If the opportunity arises, definitely go see.
What can I say? I've got cloths on the brain this week. Now please excuse me for leaving this post short, but I have the sudden urge to go shopping.
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