Fashion in Art at the Met

Who knew that high heel shoes were the rage in 6th Century B.C. Greece?!

Or that 12th century men finding their calves to be lacking in definition would actually pad their stockings?

Or that it was perfectly acceptable for physical fit young Roman men to attend parties in the nude, talking about minimalist fashion!

I learned these and many other fun facts during a fabulous afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum, taking the "Fashion in Art"  tour organized by The Costume Institute.

 "Fashion in Art" is a fascinating tour that uses works of art to illustrate the development of fashion starting with sixth century greece all the way to the present day.  The works we viewed were widely varied as well including everything from marble statuary, a fresco from Pompeii to a 12th century tapestry and a 20th century conceptual art piece.

Our tour group was small; a couple from Chile, a woman from New Zealand, myself and a colleague from Supima. The docent for our tour, Susan Jonas, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.  It really was an afternoon well spent.  Below are some of the works that we viewed:

The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than 35,000 costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries.  The Costume Institute's Harold Koda (Curator in Charge) and Andrew Bolton (Curator) create two special exhibitions each year. Recent thematic exhibitions have included Poiret: King of Fashion (2007); Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (2008); and The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion (2009).

Of special interest and not to be missed is their upcoming exhibition , Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, which will be on view from May 4 through July 31, 2011.  No doubt it will be the most talked about show this year.