“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” – Edith Head

For some fashion is frivolous, and for others it’s what makes the world go ‘round. Whichever end of the spectrum you’re on, though, our clothes speak volumes about who we are, where we’re from, and the time in which we live. August 21 is World Fashion Day, so to celebrate we have selected our favourite fashionable moments from Open Collections! Click on any of the images below for more information.

Portrait of women in Chinese-style dress, some time after 1920

Men in kilts, between 1919 and 1939

Woman in ceremonial Northwest Coast First Nations dress, 1980

Police officers in Suva, Fiji, ca. 1930’s

Portrait of man with walking stick, some time after 1888

Woman getting fitted for a dress, 1949

Maori women sharing a Hongi salutation, ca. 1930’s