Fashion and the Body: My Visit to the New Costume Institute Exhibition
How fashion shapes, transforms, and expresses the body across time.
This is the idea that stayed with me after visiting the new Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The exhibition looks at clothing through the lens of the body. Not just as something we wear, but as something that interacts with us, changing proportions, highlighting or softening features, and expressing identity in different ways.
Instead of organizing the pieces by time or designer, the exhibition is divided into themes around the body. As you walk through the galleries, you move from one perspective to another: Reclaimed Body, Pregnant Body, Corpulent Body, Epidermal Body, Vital Body, Anatomical Body, Inscribed Body, Aging Body, Mortal Body, Disabled Body.
Each section offers a different way to think about how clothing relates to the body, not only physically, but also emotionally and culturally.
One detail that makes this exhibition even more special is the space itself. It’s the first exhibition in the new Costume Institute galleries, which gives fashion a more central place inside the museum. The galleries are large, and the mannequins are beautifully displayed, allowing you to really observe the shapes, textures, and construction of each piece.
I went on the first day, and it was crowded, even with scheduled entry for members. Still, it was absolutely worth it.
And honestly, it’s the kind of exhibition that you don’t fully absorb in one visit. There are too many details, too many layers of meaning. Of course, I will be back.
As a stylist, I couldn’t help but think about how this connects to everyday dressing.
We don’t always notice it, but every outfit we put on is a small decision about how we want to relate to our own body. Sometimes we want structure, sometimes softness. Sometimes we want to highlight; sometimes we want to simplify.
That’s why understanding your body and how clothing interacts with it is so powerful. It’s not about rules. It’s about awareness and intention.
If you’re in New York, it’s definitely worth a visit. And if you go, I would love to hear what stayed with you.
Through January 10, 2027
Now on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 099
Free with Museum admission
Hi, I’m Marcia Crivorot, a Personal Stylist based in NY. Once a month, I send newsletters featuring style tips, recommended brands, and a shopping guide. Unlock previous editions of my newsletters and receive my emails firsthand by subscribing.
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