Man’s WWII U.S. Army Air Corps Uniform

The short “Ike,” or “Eisenhower,” jacket was added to regulation U.S. Army uniforms during World War II. Officially called the M-1944 jacket, it was designed to be worn on its own or under a larger field jacket. It owes its name to General Dwight D. Eisenhower (nicknamed “Ike”), who helped approve the style, and afterward was rarely photographed wearing anything else.

Green wool, cotton, metal, 1945, USA, 90.171.5, Gift of Mary Jane Pool

Colonel’s U.S. Army “dress blue” uniform

“This particular uniform emerged when the U.S. tradition of using blue in military uniforms…combined with a project to modernize…uniforms after the Second World War. The choice of a fitted, single-breasted, dark navy, long line jacket with comfortable blue trousers fit within trends in postwar men’s fashion…[here] transformed into a statement about power by a number of decorative features. These included the use of gold buttons…and badges displaying U.S. national insignia… that reinforced the stature of the military in U.S. civil society.”
– Jennifer Craik, from the catalog Power Mode: The Force of Fashion

Blue wool, white cotton, metal, circa 1950, USA, 95.102.2, Gift of the Heirs of Teresa Lambert Ireland

Yves Saint Laurent Coat

Yves Saint Laurent began experimenting with military elements during the mid-1960s. The dark blue, double- breasted coat quickly became one of his signature styles. Originally inspired by the naval “peacoat” worn by sailors to keep warm, the recognizable dark blue coat punctuated by gold-tone buttons has become a fixture of fashionable wardrobes.

Navy wool and metal, 1966, France, 78.85.3, Gift of Doris Strakosch

Philipp Plein Jumpsuit

This Philipp Plein jumpsuit effectively recalls plates of armor, but on closer inspection each geometric panel is delicately constructed from beads, rhinestones, and. The “power” of armor has long fascinated designers as a source of both defensive protection and offensive strength. Yet more futuristic than medieval, this look combines the bionic woman and the white knight.

Spandex, glass and plastic, 2016, Germany, 2017.50.2, Gift of Julie Macklowe

Burberry (Christopher Bailey) Ensemble

Burberry famously supplied canvas raincoats (dubbed “trench” coats) for British troops during World War I. Christopher Bailey frequently referenced the brand’s military legacy in his ready-to-wear collections. Here he juxtaposes a cropped olive drab jacket with a ruched dress of army green netting. The brass buttons are emblazoned with “Burberry” in bold, replacing the military seal with a brand name.

Green net, green wool, and black leather, Fall 2010, England, 2010.62.1, Gift of Burberry

Thom Browne Man’s suit and bag

Thom Browne is best known for his “shrunken” grey suits that play with proportions. By pairing a tight fitting jacket with shorts, Browne challenges the “masculinity” of the suit and infuses it with the look of adolescent school uniforms. The inclusion of an oversized handbag further bends gender lines. LeBron James wore a version of this suit during the 2018 NBA playoffs.

Grey wool, cotton, leather, silver, 2018, USA, 2019.5.1 Gift of Thom Browne

Man’s suit

This monochromatic, black suit is emblematic of the “somber” and “restrained” dressing that has come to define 19th- century menswear. Its silhouette mimics the lines of the idealized male body. As historian Anne Hollander once put it, “all modern suits have been cut to suggest a male body that tapers from broad shoulders and a muscular chest, has a flat stomach and a small waist, lean flanks and long legs.” Although the jacket here is longer than typical suit styles today, its color, material, and tailored line can still be seen in contemporary equivalents, attesting to the style’s longevity.

Black wool, circa 1860, USA, P90.2.4, Museum purchase

Yves Saint Laurent Suit

Yves Saint Laurent unveiled his first woman’s pantsuit in 1966. Dubbed le smoking it was literally a man’s tuxedo tailored for a woman’s body. Although considered shocking in the late 1960s, the pantsuit became a staple of the fashionable woman’s wardrobe during the 1970s. Along with le smoking, the double-breasted pinstripe “gangster” suit was another signature Saint Laurent style.

Off-white wool with grey pinstripes, 1979, France, 86.101.17, Gift of Lauren Bacall

Auburn State Prison uniform

The hat, jacket, and pants of this prisoner uniform were made from grey denim. This type of coordinated ensemble, or “suit,” was standard throughout the American correctional system for the first half of the 20th century. As a symbol of an inmate’s subordinate status, it proves the relativity of the suit’s “power.”

Grey denim and linen, 1913, USA, 93.26.1, Gift of Lithgow Osborn

Joy Marie Douglas “Rebranded” suit

Joy Marie Douglas designed this suit as part of her “Rebranded” project – an ongoing collaboration with previously incarcerated individuals to create looks that reclaim pejorative words like “convict.” Here, Douglas deconstructs and reconstructs the classic “power” suit, infusing these words in its design. The result allows wearers to “rebrand” themselves through fashion.

White wool, 2017, USA, 2019.18.1, Gift of Joy Marie Douglas (photo courtesy of Joy Marie Douglas)

Robe à la française

A robe à la française is a style of eighteenth-century elite dress with ruffled sleeves, large pleat (or “sack”) at the center back, and paniers (caged undergarments worn on the sides and underneath the skirt to widen the hips). These construction elements highlighted the amount of fabric used to make the garment– expensive fabric that would have instantly signaled the wearer’s wealth and status.

Brocade silk jacquard, 1760-1775, USA, 2017.2.1, Museum purchase

Carolina Herrera Dress

This cocktail dress by Carolina Herrera recalls the ermine evening cape from the 1890s. The black velvet and ermine have been reinterpreted as a velvet mini dress with a dramatic black-and-white, polka dot train in supple taffeta. It, too, is a statement piece designed to help the wearer make an entrance, announcing her status at a 1980s social event.

Black velvet and white polka-dot silk taffeta, fall 1988, USA, 2005.48.8, Gift of Carolina Herrera, Ltd

Christian Dior Coat

In 1962, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had a leopard pelt made into a coat by Oleg Cassini, sparking a massive trend for this exotic fur that led to the near extinction of the great cat. Fur has historically been a potent power symbol across cultures, from African tribes to the courts of Europe. Rebecca Arnold sees the lure of fur as “the fantasy of power tinged with the cruelty of the kill.”

Leopard fur and silk, 1960-1963, France, 91.121.2 , Gift of Mrs. Sylvia Slifka

Chanel Suit

Chanel debuted her tweed suit in 1953 when she reopened her couture house after World War II. It has become one of the most recognizable high fashion looks of the twentieth century, immediately conjuring associations with elite status.

Wool tweed, braiding, ribbon, metal, 1963-64, France, 80.13.1 Gift of Mrs. Georges Gudefin

Fendi “Baguette” bag

The so-called “It” bag craze took off during the late 1990s. Fendi’s Baguette, introduced in 1997, was among the most desired styles. Available in a variety of luxury materials, including python skin and 18K gold, the bag could cost upwards of $5,000, but this did not deter customers. The high price tag and prominently placed logo, made the “Baguette” an undisputed status item.

Hand-painted python, gold thread, gold hardware, silk brocade, fall 2001, Italy, 2007.25.1 Gift of Fendi

Balenciaga (Demna Gvasalia) Puffer coat

In his first collection for Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia showed dramatic puffer coats – his twenty-first century interpretation of Balenciaga’s famed swing coats. Branded for the label- savvy consumer and stuffed with high quality duck down, the hyper-warm puffer is Gvasalia’s status fur for the new millennium.

Red polyester, duck down, metal, fall 2016, France, 2016.113.1 Museum purchase

“Silence=Death” ACT UP T-shirt

Black cotton, 2018, USA, 2018.15.1, Museum purchase

“Pussyhat”

Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman launched a website in December 2016 to show knitters how to make pink “pussyhats” ahead of the 2017 Women’s March. The hat gave the wearer cat-like, “pussy” ears as a symbol of female power. It was a response to the hot-mic recording of then-candidate Trump boasting about grabbing women “by the pussy.” Italian brand Missoni adapted the style for the finale of its fall 2017 collection.

Pink, synthetic wool, 2017, USA, 2018.14.1, Anonymous donor

Shorts

Cotton, embroidery, circa 1970, USA, 2016.20.3, Gift of the Nancy Hariton Gewirz Collection

Azzedine Alaïa Dress

Azzedine Alaïa transformed the “biker” jacket into a body- hugging dress, extending the asymmetrical zipper down the length of the wearer’s body. This adds an erotic quality to the look, but the reference is still recognizable. Alaïa was known for his sexy designs during the “power dressing” era of the 1980s.

Black leather and metal, 1987, France, 2013.24.1, Museum purchase

Christian Dior (Maria Grazia Chiuri) Ensemble

This look was part of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut collection for Dior. The T-shirt is printed with the title of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s famous essay “We Should All Be Feminists.” While the shirt commodifies resistance into a catchphrase, it became a feminist rallying cry for the Instagram age.

Cotton and silk, spring 2017, France, Museum purchase (Photo credit: firstVIEW.com)

Off-White (Virgil Abloh) “Hoodie” sweatshirt

After Treyvon Martin’s death (a black teenager shot to death in 2012 for looking “suspicious” in a “dark hoodie”), the hooded sweatshirt became an emblem of systemic racism and civil resistance, particularly within the nascent Black Lives Matter movement. Virgil Abloh’s “Hoodie” for the label Off- White combines the power symbol with a play on traditional branding strategies.

Black cotton, fall 2018, Italy, 2019.8.1, Gift of Off-White

Jean Paul Gaultier Corset top

Jean Paul Gaultier was a pioneer of underwear as outerwear, adapting foundation wear into erotic ready-to-wear. This bustier is a prime example. Shown in 2010, it recalls the famous cone bra costumes he designed for Madonna’s Blonde Ambition Tour in 1990.

Pink satin, fall 2010, France, 2017.61.1, Museum purchase

Diana Slip Fetish boots

“The heels on this pair of fetish boots are 5 inches, and the boots themselves are thigh-high, a style that tends to be regarded as significantly more erotic than ankle boots or boots that extend only up to the knee… The height of these boots and the heel-toe proximity would have made walking in them very difficult. Nevertheless, they would have made the wearer look powerful, since, already by the 1920s, high-heeled boots were associated with the figure of the dominatrix.”
– Valerie Steele, from the catalog Power Mode: The Force of Fashion

Black leather, brass, cotton, circa 1930, France, 2013.50.1, Museum purchase

Fetish ensemble

Leather is a key material for fetish wear. It is sensuous with a distinctive feel, look, and smell – an erotic second skin. Considered a “hard” material (as opposed to softer silks, lace, and fur) leather is often associated with S&M culture.

Black leather and metal, 1982, USA, P83.12.2, Museum purchase

Givenchy (Ricardo Tisci) Ensemble

This ensemble by Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy includes an elaborate leather harness top. Inspired in-part by bondage wear, it’s an update on the fetish looks McQueen created for Givenchy, but it also continues the legacy of Versace’s sexy fashions. As Tisci explained, “my inspiration comes from many sources, and one of those is precisely the maison Versace… Versace is the peak of sexy.” Tisci’s work at Givenchy became known for its erotic and gothic sensibility.

Black leather, silk chiffon, and metal, spring 2011, France, 2011.8.1, Gift of Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci

Fetish shoes

This fetish shoe has an eight-inch heel on which it would be nearly impossible to walk. Its primary purpose was aesthetic sexual appeal. Many people think there is a connection between heel height and erotic allure – the higher the heel, the sexier the shoe.

Mexico Black patent leather, circa 1973-1975, P91.25.2, Museum purchase

Chanel (Karl Lagerfeld) Shoes

Karl Lagerfeld takes the distinctive silhouette of the fetish shoe, but replaces the stiletto heel with a gun. It is immediately evocative of sex, violence, and power – a visual metaphor for the “femme fatale.” As film historian Stevie Simkin explains, “The figure of the beautiful but lethal woman has haunted the western imagination from ancient myth to contemporary film.” Lagerfeld’s fusion of fashion, fetish, and lethal weapon plays on the erotic danger implicit in this cultural trope. However, the shoe caused a backlash from gun control advocates for glamorizing gun culture.

Black silk, plastic, and metal, cruise 2009, France, 2012.63.1, Gift of CHANEL