Fashions of a Decade: The 1930s

Completely revised in full-color, "Fashions of a Decade: The 1930s" examines the role of fashion as it made its way through the Great Depression, exploring the social and cultural aspects of history through a softer lens. Cheaper fabrics that imitated luxury items such as nylon and artificial silks became popular, along with clothing that featured a more muted palette and longer, more flowing lines. Such Hollywood icons as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers set the mood for idealized glamour, as did the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as they pushed the bounds of fashion to a newer height, changing history forever.