The Smith College Historic Clothing Collection started out as a few garments in a metal file cabinet, says the collection director, Kiki Smith. Not quite 50 years later, it’s a 4,000-plus garment trove that the costume designer and professor draws from to teach her courses and which she has written a book about. The collection, housed in the basement of Smith College’s theater building, also is the subject of a museum exhibition at The New York Historical through June 22, 2025. In this episode of Sewing with Threads, Kiki discusses the collection, how it grew, and how it has been attracting attention lately.

“Clothes hold people and memories,” Kiki says. “I think that’s one of the things that’s so attractive about them.”

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The collection and Kiki’s book, Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore (Rizzoli, 2023), contain stories about the clothes, which are not the sumptuous couture garments often found in large collections. Instead, much of the clothing is the everyday variety worn by average folks. There are waitress uniforms, complete with stains, for example. They are the types of garments that would interest a sociologist or archaeologist—or a costume designer, Kiki says.

Fashion Powerhouses Lend a Hand

Listen in as Kiki recounts how two fashion giants became connected with the collection: The New York Times Fashion Director Vanessa Friedman and fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg.

Those connections eventually led to the exhibition in Manhattan.

“If people walk out of that exhibit and realize that they have a story that is really reflective of their own life and a way of life, that’s terrific,” Kiki says.

Favorites from the Collection

In this podcast, Kiki shares details about her favorites in the collection, two garments worn by Sylvia Plath.

“There are delicious things down here and I can find a lot of pleasure in just about every single one of them,” she says.

Visit The New York Historical for more information about the exhibit, Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore. 

Kiki Smith’s book by the same name can be purchased at the museum or here.

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This episode is sponsored by Travel with Threads:

We’re back with an invitation to all of you, Threads family, to join us on our second adventure to the Netherlands. Our first trip was such a huge success that we’ve planned another in 2025. It runs September 16 through 24. There are lots of new activities and workshops to enjoy on this exclusive tour.

We’ll visit world-class museums, fine fabric shops, and our main event is a three-day workshop with Saskia ter Welle of the Dutch Couture Academy. Saskia hosted us last year and she’s planning all-new, hands-on learning of couture-level embellishment and design. All of that is alongside her wonderful hospitality.

This trip with other sewing enthusiasts is filled with activities that will inspire you.

To find out more about the 2025 Travel with Threads Netherlands Tour, go to ThreadsMagazine.com. The group is limited to 20 participants. Be sure to reserve your space today.