Shirt And Skirt

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from Norman Smith as part of Willi Smith: Street Couture.

Throughout history, clothing has defined a person’s place in society, and governments have enforced dress codes by gender, race, ethnicity, and class. WilliWear collapsed the idea that people should wear clothing that conformed to a fixed identity. Smith emphasized a resistance to class distinctions prevalent in fashion at the time, saying, "My mother and grandmother were always ladies of style and still are. I guess they taught me that you didn’t have to be rich to look good."

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Willi Smith: Street Couture.