Philadelphia Museum of Art - On View : In the Galleries : Costume & Textiles

Overview

Gallery Locations >>

The Museum's galleries of Costume and Textiles draw from one of the oldest and largest collections in the country.

Highlights from the Collections

Explore objects on view in the Costume & Textiles galleries >>

Here you may find woven and printed textiles, embroidery and lace, or iconic fashions

In these often-changing spaces, you may find anything from 18th- and 19th-century dress, undergarments, and accessories such as hats, gloves, bags, and shoes, to iconic and groundbreaking 20th-century fashions.

Woven and printed fabrics may also be represented, as well as embroidery and lace; quilts, coverlets, and samplers; and Middle Eastern and Asian archeological textiles.

Great Coats: Women’s Outerwear from the Collection

Costume and Textiles Study Gallery

Coats provide protection from cold, wind, damp, and dust, but as the outermost article of clothing worn outdoors, they are made to be seen and often make an important fashion statement. This installation focuses on inventive lines, interesting shapes, and ingenious uses of materials and embellishment in women’s coats from the 1920s to the early 21st century.

Love Stories: Romance and Tragedy in 18th- and 19th-Century Textiles and Costume Accessories

Gallery 271, second floor

This selection of embroideries, printed textiles, and fans from the Museum’s collection explores some of the ways in which romantic tales were interpreted in the 18th and 19th centuries. You'll fall in love with decorative images from classical texts, Greek and Roman mythology, and works of art, literature, and theater from the period.

Please note, because of sensitivity to light and other conservation concerns, the objects on view in the Costume and Textile galleries rotate frequently.