Throughout the ages, ingenious sewers have created articles of clothing that visually reshape the body, persuaded textiles to behave in unexpected ways, and fabricated wearable works of art that have, in some cases, survived for centuries. Kent State University Museum’s exhibition, Inside Out: Revealing Clothing’s Hidden Secrets, shows curious sewers how these feats were achieved. We’re given the unprecedented chance to peer inside a selection of wonderful garments from three centuries, and learn how they were made.

If you can’t make the trip to Kent, Ohio, have a look at our coverage of the wonderful historical garments on display as seen in Threads #181 (October/November 2015).