The Missouri Historic Costume and Textile Collection

Happy Birthday to Cristóbal Balenciaga! Born on this day in 1895, in the Basque country of Spain, Balenciaga is January’s Designer Spotlight. MFIT's Elizabeth ...Way points out the craftsmanship and attention to detail that made him a master. The Designer Spotlight video series invites MFIT curators to explore objects in our permanent collection that focus on a specific designer's work and contributions to fashion. #MuseumFromHome #DesignerSpotlight

#ShoesdayTuesday Salvatore Ferragamo's shoes featured a distinctive blend of theatricality and comfort. The F-heel, seen here, was launched in the late 1940s a...nd featured a distinctive lightweight wooden platform carved out to create an elegant, refined shape while providing stability and balance. See more

The Plis Watteau is pleat on the back, fashionable in the 18th century. The Plis Watteau was named after the artist Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684 1721). The Plis... Watteau was fixed on the shoulder blades and then merged with the dress, leaving the back free. This style of folds can be found on Robe à la Française, robe Battante (Contouche; Robe Volante) and Pet-en-l'air jackets. See more

It's National Hat Day! By the late 1800s fashionable women of the West began wearing hats adorned with feathers, wings, and even whole birds or their disembodied parts. During the height of the feather trade (1870-1920), tens of millions of birds were killed, driven mainly by millinery centers in New York and London. Explore more connections between the feather trade and fashionable headdress - and view twenty-five hats with feather accents - in the MHCTC's 2018 exhibition "Endangered: Fauna and Fashion:" https://www.mhctc.missouri.edu/exhibit_origins_feather.html