Measurements of the clothing were taken for the new “Dress Codes” exhibit in order to build 50 custom mannequins. (photo courtesy of the Autry Museum of the American West)

The exhibition “Dress Codes,” on view from May 21 through January 8, 2023, at the Autry Museum of the American West, examines what people wear, how they wear it, and why through six enduring icons of Western style: blue jeans, the plaid shirt, the fringed leather jacket, the aloha shirt, the China Poblana dress and the cowboy boot. Featuring more than 150 objects, including apparel drawn primarily from the Autry’s extensive clothing and textile collection as well as art, photography and historical artifacts, this exhibition excavates the histories embedded in these key garments and explores their connections to ideas of Western identity, tradition, individual freedom, hybridity and reinvention.

“Dress Codes threads the stories of garments from a variety of cultural origins and trajectories to look at the ways in which we express ourselves through how we dress, an experience we all share,” Stephen Aron, president and CEO of the Autry, said. “The Autry brings together stories of all peoples of the American West, and this exhibition tells stories of pasts that resonate in the present and that are deeper, denser and more exhilarating than any of us assume.”

“What we wear is often deeply personal and individualistic, but sometimes fashion is also used to demonstrate a belonging to a community or to express tradition or cultural identity,” chief curator at the Autry Carolyn Brucken said.

Museum admission is $14 for adults, $10 for students and seniors 60+, $6 for children ages 3–12, and free for Autry members, veterans, and children aged 2 and under. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month. Visit theautry.org for information.