Came here to view the Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis exhibit. I appreciate that the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) is one of the cool free things to do in midtown Manhattan. The museum itself is small and kind of crowded, but they definitely packed a lot of fascinating garments into such a small space. Some of my favorite garments on display at the special exhibit: 1. Issey Miyake's red plastic body bustier from 1983 2. A red silk satin corset from 1889 3. Jack Jacobus high-heeled boots from 1895-1900, gift of the Victoria & Albert Museum 4. Top hats from Books Brothers, Christian Dior (his is corseted!), and Justin Smith 5. A Jean Paul Gaultier orange cone-bra dress 6. Thierry Mugler's mermaid dress 7. A spikey black coat ensemble from Viktor & Rolf 8. A 3D-printed spider dress 2.0 created and engineered by Annouk Wipprecht for INTEL in 2015, in collaboration with Philip H. Wilck (it made me think of the mantis blades from Cyberpunk 2077. There was also a video in the gallery of the "legs" on the shoulders of the dress moving. 9. Chocolate dress 10. Yohji Yamamoto's Fall 2006 rib-shaped Fall ensemble 11. Scarlet Woman (which entails a head-to-toe scarlet ensemble entailing a corset top hat, stiletto heels, corseted skirt, cinched structured coat of silk and lace, wielding a long red belt like a whip) and Horse-woman (head-to-toe grey with a saddle as a bustle) ensembles and gowns by John Galliano for Christian Dior Couture. read more

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Not gonna lie, I ducked in here because the museum is free and I really needed to use the bathroom while I was out and about in Chelsea. But jokes aside, FIT is an amazing school (I'm an alumni) and this museum is excellent. read more

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An amazing experience for a free museum. Whenever there are fashion exhibits at the museums back home, I go to them because they're usually interesting takes on fashion, history, and anthropology. I love that this free museum is just as good if not better than the exhibits back home. read more

The Museum at FIT - Fashion for social distancing - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

It is a great museum showcasing some of the world's most wonderful fashion. It's quite small, but it's free! Every several months, they update the exhibition. I went during their Africa's Fashion Diaspora - a stunning fashion exhibition. I simply wish the museum/exhibition was larger. Anyway, the clothes on exhibit are stunning. I'll be returning for their future exhibitions. read more

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I visited the Museum at FIT (the Fashion Institute of Technology) for the first time yesterday after having it on my to visit list for years. The museum is small - in the basement of the FIT building, but it's free to visit. Because the museum is not the entirety of the building, it would have been great if there were staff or information when you enter that can direct you to where you need to go - it was a little bit confusing. However, they do have a pretty interesting exhibit right now (and through January 4, 2026): "Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis." It totally surprised me - the exhibit was on a topic I'd never thought about at all, and I found it intriguing, interesting, and thought-provoking. It also had some very famous dresses/pieces that I recognized, which I hadn't been expecting. Overall, the museum was interesting to visit, because this particular exhibit was so great. But the museum does not have a permanent collection on display and really functions as a gallery space for temporary exhibits. So, I recommend a visit if there's an exhibit you're interested in. After all, it's free - nothing to lose by checking it out. read more

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Of all the museums in this city to go to and explore, this one is one of my favorites. It doesn't get enough hype and I'm not sure why. First, it's free. And the exhibits change usually quarterly. My favorite time is winter and spring exhibits because it's usually FIT students work being shown at another part of the museum and it is so cool to see what the students come up with. If you look at my photos, you will see how cool this work is and it's worth going to. Theme changes everytime so you will always see something different on a quarterly basis. This is a very high recommend, I always keeps visiting the museum. read more

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The food and fashion and the main exhibition is free. Down the stairs. The main lobby is set for up NYC voters today. What a nice discovery today and for the week. I think the best dresses are the older style for me. The baguette spiked purse is still quite unique. read more

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Your experience really depends on the exhibits on display and the time of day you choose to go. I came on a weekday afternoon where it got more crowded the later it became. If you want a quieter experience where you can read the history of the pieces on display, I suggest coming earlier. If you want to mingle with the FIT kids, it seems like they come out in the evening and some of them are willing to give you a free tour of the exhibits. While it was nice to get a free tour, I felt severely underdressed next to this student with her beautiful and intricate goth princess-esque outfit. If I had known, maybe I would've worn something a little nicer. Noted for next time. The exhibits on display while I was visiting were the designing women exhibit and the hip hop exhibit. The designing women exhibit was an interesting exhibit that showcased different types of clothing associated with different types of interior spaces. Truthfully, this exhibit was not the most straightforward and I felt like there could've been a better way to make the theme more clear and the exhibit more cohesive. Regardless, the outfits shown were all beautiful and historically significant. The hip hop exhibit was on the third floor and was visibly more popular than the designing women exhibit. The exhibit inhabited the entire floor and old school hip hop classics were played for visitors to bop to while looking at the outfits. Growing up in Brooklyn and also watching MTV, I was able to connect some of the outfits on display to what I actually saw in real life (always fun when you know what you're looking at). There were a variety of clothing items on display including jewelry, tracksuits, dresses, shoes, etc. Definitely worth a visit for hip hop fans. I definitely think the FIT Museum is a nice place to visit especially since it's free and the exhibits are always rotating. The FIT website also tells you what the upcoming exhibits are for the year and I would be excited to check out the Food and Fashion exhibit in September. Guess I'll be back in the Fall. read more

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Had such a good time walking through the 50 years of hip hop history. Really cool to see the clothes and who wore them before. Loved reading and learning about Virgil Abloh RIP, and seeing all the amazing designs. Wish the music was a little more bumpin'! read more

The Museum at FIT - Inside - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

The Museum at FIT is located on the Fashion Institute of Technology's campus on the corner of West 27th Street in Manhattan. FiT is accessible via 1, N, R trains to 28th Street and via A, C, E, F trains to 23rd Street and a few minutes walk to the destination. FIT's museum exhibits are held w/in their Fashion and Textile History Gallery. Reinvention & Restlessness : Fashion In The Nineties Exhibit was absolutely beautiful. The exhibit was on multiple floors including the gallery's basement. Fashion items and paraphernalia from the 90's included chic, funky, classy & cool parasols, hats, textiles, sunglasses, designer handbags and clothing as well as streetwear & footwear. It was great to see some homage paid to hip-hop in this exhibit including the 8-Ball Jacket, 90's streetwear, etc. Female Hip-Hop Artists Extraordinaire Salt-N-Pepa's (and of course DJ Spinderellal) picture was displayed which was appreciated and videos around fashion magazines showing models in trendy 90's everything took me back to the 90's which was a wonderful time of vibrant, bold and colorful wear, gear and accessories. I really enjoyed the exhibit. Website - fitnyc.edu/museum Instagram- @museumatfit Twitter - @museumatFIT Hours of Operation - Wed - Fri. Noon - 8pm Saturday & Sunday- 10am - 5pm Currently the "Dior & Balenciaga : The Kings of Couture and Their Legacies" Exhibit is on display. The Museum at FIT is free admission and a mask has to be worn throughout the entire visit due to the ongoing COVID Pandemic. If the gallery is at capacity, the Security Officers will ask patrons to wait on line until it becomes less crowded. Join Museum at FIT's Maing List and view their website to read feautured new stories & press releases, get the link to download the Museum at FIT's Fashion Culture Podcast. The Museum at FIT also has a YouTube Channel. Hopefully, individuals will get the opportunity to enjoy the Museum at FIT'S current & future exhibits as well as their virtual platforms. read more

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LOVE this museum and its carefully curated exhibitions! We went to the Accessories show, and on our way out, someone, possibly a professor (?) stopped us and asked if we had seen the "Future of Fashion" exhibit, which is outfits created by graduating students. It was too late to see it, so we went back the next day, which was the last day of the exhibition. Wow. Some REALLY talented young designers!!! Clothes were displayed by category. The level of creativity and workmanship on some of these was simply extraordinary. I foresee a very bright future in their chosen field :) I forgot my phone, so had to use my mother's IPhone 5 :) Some pix did not come out :( read more

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This is a free museum that is open to the public. Please check the dates on their website before showing up. I found that the floor laser is very sensitive at this museum and if you get too close to the invisible laser it will beeps very loud. Anyways, you can see the entire museum in an hour or less. The have some brand name fashion designer items clothing/shoes/handbags that are over 50 years old here. They even have fashions dated today. It's definitely interesting to see. read more

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Free museum with fun and interesting exhibits that never disappoint. Stopped by on a whim to see the exhibit on statement sleeves (second exhibit area closed for new exhibit set up). read more

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Came for the free exhibit Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style and loved it!! It's such a cool free exhibit with so many amazing pieces. Tons of vintage hip hop clothing and outfits that celebrities wore on red carpets. We also went to the Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors exhibit which we didn't know was there but also really enjoyed. It showed women's fashion through the span of many decades. Excited to see future exhibits at the museum! read more

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Came on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, to come visit their 50th anniversary of Hip Hop of fashion with my partner who is very into fashion. The museum is free and my partner loved the whole experience and we caught it before it ended. It definitely had a lot of monumental clothing that has been seen throughout the year of Hip Hop and many movies as well. It was a great way to spend on Saturday and grab some great food afterwards. read more

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This is a small and free museum that is located inside FIT (the Fashion Institute of Technology). They periodically change up the exhibits on display. At the time that I went, they had an exhibit that showcased fashion designers from Japan. As far as museums go, it is very small and not something I'd go out of my way for. However, if you are in the area, it is free and something quick to do. read more

The Museum at FIT - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

Visited during my last day in NYC last week. They had three small but nice exhibits: Fashion of the 1990s, Head to Toe, and Asian Americans in New York Fashion. I wish the Asian American exhibit was more comprehensive but it still has the ability to provoke conversation and has some beautiful pieces at the end of the hallway. Also allow time to check out the chalk drawings on the outside of the building done by Illustration students. read more

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My boyfriend and I decided to check out the museum on a Saturday afternoon. I felt a bit underwhelmed. As other reviews have noted, the experience depends a lot on the exhibit, since the museum is so small. It took us between 30 minutes and an hour to check out everything. It's free, so it's worth popping by if you're in the area and have nothing to do. read more

It's small with only two halls but it's free and so is the gallery of vintage fashion in the school lobby across the street. I caught a lovely LatinX fashion exhibit and it was stunning! I don't understand fashion, but I wanted to steal most of what I saw. It's a small place and a short visit, but it's a great one to pop in and out of on your way to lunch or dinner. read more

Free! Fashion! Fabulous! No ticket or reservation is required for admission, but visitors should follow current safety protocols (such as proof of Covid-19 vaccination in NYC) when checking out the Museum at FIT galleries on the campus of the Fashion Institute of Technology (Seventh Av & 27th St). It's hailed as New York City's "most fashionable museum" and since I ALWAYS love exhibitions on fashion, it's a "no-brainer" that I love the Museum at FIT. Special exhibits rotate on a fairly frequent basis while a couple standard galleries display classic pieces from the 1700s to today selected from the museum's collection of 50,000 garments and accessories. The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a college within the SUNY university system and this museum was originally founded in 1969 to support FIT's educational programs. It's obviously grown including moving into the current location in 1974 and being given its present name in 1993. I like the mix of new items from recent students and grads as well as the mix of amazing historical apparel and stunning modern ensembles from some of fashion industry's biggest designers and brands. Days and hours have changed a few times since the pandemic so be sure to check out the website for the latest updates. As of today, the museum is open: Noon - 8:00 pm: Wednesday - Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm: Saturday & Sunday. Closed: Monday & Tuesday Of course, it is also closed for major holidays such as New Year's, July 4, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Museum at FIT doesn't take long to explore and with just around 100k visitors a year, it won't be nearly as packed as some of New York's more popular institutions. The smaller crowds are a win (especially during the pandemic), but I'm really a big fan because, the Museum at FIT is ... Fabulous! Fashion! Free! read more

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Wow, this is the type of cultural spot I love - comprehensive yet low amounts of reading, interesting works of art, and free! Just to clarify, this is more of a gallery than a museum. It consists of two small rooms of fashion items with brief blurbs and introductions. There's a third room downstairs where the special exhibits are; until May 2020, it is a ballerina exhibit, with the most gorgeous, unique, sparkly tutus and dresses from all over the world. The rooms upstairs were so educational and cool. The first room is about the forces of fashion, namely five sections that were adapted to fashion: military uniforms, status/power dressing, the suit, resistance, and sexy culture. There were pieces by all the top designers, from Chanel to YSL to Tom Ford to Gucci to Ralph Lauren to Karl Lagerfeld to Dior to Versace. The blurbs explained the differences among these brands and what each piece was focused on. One example that was so interesting to me was YSL's adaptation of the men's power suit for women. Another was the explanation of t-shirts and their importance in resistance culture. The second room upstairs is dedicated to Eleanor Lambert, a famous fashion publicist from New York. Learned a bit about this game-changer and her impact across industries! Walked out a bit more informed! Pieces are changed out every six months, and I can't wait to return to learn more about the fashion industry! read more

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I love checking out this museum from time to time--first--it is free and second, fun. I was in the area last night and with some time to kill, swung by. I'm unsure if there were multiple exhibits, but the sign at the entrance stated Power Mode. There was a very nice and colorful collection--some of the contributions were from Versace, Ralph Lauren and Moschino. Military and Civil Rights were themes reflected through fashion as well as Bondage/Sex. I didn't have much time to read through all postings but I really enjoyed the fashion on display. You can most likely breeze through the entire exhibit in much less than an hour. Always rotating exhibits and worth checking out. read more

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The Museum at Fit is like everyone says free to the public and you don't need a ticket or a reservation to enter. Just check out the store hours before you head on over and it's as easy as that. Overall the museum has just a few exhibits, don't forget a basement location and there is also a student art exhibit on the bathroom side which is the closest to the only bathrooms. If you are having a hard time figuring it out, on sure the security guards would help you along the way. This exhibit has some history of different time eras and also descriptions below plus what designer. I liked the underground exhibit which was currently Paris and the history of Paris fashion which states that Paris as always ahead of fashion compared to the Americans. It's interesting to see what was in fashion through history and of possibly understand why it was that way. I thought this was pretty interesting and fun but still could be improved a bit more. Also thought there was too much modern fashion in here which didn't seem like it could be compared to the other infamous brands/legends. read more

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Great free museum. Had 3 exhibits (including a special shoes exhibit) when I went on Friday. Make sure you bring a mask or you will not be allowed in. read more

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The museum at FIT is a small museum with rotating exhibits. When my party went, the only exhibit on display was the Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors exhibit, which explored the connection between women fashion designer's garments and interior decoration. It showcased different types of garments in chronological order along with a description and picture of an interior space. I do wonder if the exhibit could have been done a bit differently to make it more cohesive and the theme come across better. However, the garments were all beautiful! It was a small exhibit, so we were in and out in under an hour. This is good to know when planning your visit. I wouldn't go out of my way for it since it's a small museum, but it's great for a free, quick thing to do if you are already in the area or also plan something else to do in the area! read more

I love this museum and have been here several times!! This museum is always free. You don't need any reservation or ticket. They also have rotating exhibits, so you can come back again and again and see new stuff. It's a small museum though, so don't expect to spend all day here. I usually come and spend 1 to 2 hours each time I visit. I've never been disappointed by an exhibit here. They have a wonderful collection! This is a must-see for any fans of fashion, costume design, and/or history. I'll definitely be back! :) read more

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I went here a few weeks ago with my girlfriend for the first time. It was a super cute exhibit that could be completed in about 30 minutes before entering the Fresh,Fly and Fabulous exhibit. The exhibits took you through time for women's fashion and design. However, the fresh fly and Fabulous exhibit:50 years of hip hop was truly breathtaking. My friend and I looped it about 5 times because we loved it so much. When you head downstairs to this particular exhibit, you are greeted with so many posters of hip hop legends. There were LT outs of fashion styles from the 70s forward. The main exhibit here was in the glass room. Once you enter, there are sooo many pieces of fashion from hip hop icons. From the inspiring Aaliyah and Dapper Dan, to current day icons Doja Cat, Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. This exhibit truly took me through time and highlighted the cultural impact of black and brown hip hop legends: we are the blueprint!!! Please check out this exhibit, it goes until April 23. I love the fact that it's free so that everyone can partake and view this culturally relevant and necessary exhibit! read more

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LOVE THIS MUSEUM! I came with a friend to see two exhibits, Paris: Capital of Fashion and Power Mode. I loved the way the curators tied the pieces in each exhibit together under a unifying theme and gave me a new lens through which to view the pieces. Each exhibit had a substantial number of pieces by a variety of fabulous designers. The inscriptions/plaques were so insightful and educational, and I learned so much. The cherry on top is that it's always free. I am planning on returning soon to see the Ballerina exhibit in February. read more

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My daughter goes here and we had the chance to see it yesterday during parents weekend. It's always free and houses a beautifully curated selection of historical, vintage and new fashion. The Paris exhibit is stunning- so many exquisite pieces. I felt old seeing the clothing of my youth in the museum My daughter was cracking up! read more

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It's FREE. How can you not give it 5 Stars? If there was a Robes of the KKK exhibit, I would still give this place a 4 for the creativity and audacity of it all. I came here for a Japanese fashion exhibit years ago and most recently an exhibit on the color pink. Yes, the color pink has an exhibit running right now. And it was awesome. I wonder what I missed during the gap in time. Social Media wasn't huge back then, but I am now following their Instagram with post notifications "on AF". read more

A free!, two gallery-large fashion museum inside FIT in the Chelsea area. Great for those of you that love fashion. My friend and I wanted to see Susanne Bartsche exhibit on a chilly autumn afternoon. Actually, it was winter, but it felt like fall. Shrugs. Susanne Bartsche was the queen of New York nightlife. She organized monthly parties in the 1980s. What a life! She was an Event producer and AIDs fundraiser. Her clothing is a mixture of showmanship, art and high fashion. I really enjoyed the shock value of her exhibit. Torn teddy bears, doll heads and an all leather outfit made me feel like I was at the freak show at a state fair. She surprised everyone on the runway by getting married after the catwalk. Her wedding outfit was a white ball and a nude colored skin tight body suit. So cool. And weird. Walk past the guards, go downstairs and gawk at her ostentatious, eye-oogling outfits. I also loved her metallic winged angel outfit. Make sure you go before the exhibit ends! read more

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This is really fun Museum. I love it! The atmosphere is educational. The building and restroom facilities are secure and clean. I enjoyed the exhibit I attended. If you enjoy fashion and art you will be entertained. You can keep up with the various exhibits on their web site. Some of the materials used, designs and displays of artistry are amazing to me. A lot of talent on display. Student creations are exhibited also. At least they were the day I went. My daughter took a few classes at FIT. If she had not told me about this gem I would never have known this museum exists. If you check out the current pictures you'll know what you're getting into. This type of specialty museum is not for everyone. Also I have posted the hours and web site information. Hours are limited. Enjoy, or not! read more

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Free! We went in to see the Rose exhibit and it was stunning The music playing was nice and the dresses were so pretty. The exhibit was well organized and very informative. The staff was nice and it was a really enjoyable experience. read more

The Museum at FIT - Dresses from the Rose exhibit - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

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As an avid fashion history enthusiast, I'm so glad that I came to The Museum at FIT. It's free, the bathrooms are clean, and the exhibits are top-notch. I spent about 2 hours here, but a more casual patron could budget 30 min-1 hour and enjoy themselves. (tbh the security officers- and there are many because of all the priceless items- seemed a little suspicious at how long I would linger at various parts of the exhibition, haha) As for what you'll see inside- expect to see original pieces by Charles Worth, 18th-century French couture, contemporary pieces by couturiers like Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy. Beautiful excess at its finest! read more

Halfway through the downstairs exhibit on Proust's muse, Countess Grefulhe, a fellow museum visitor turned to me, "Isn't this amazing?" she asked, and we launched into an enthusiastic discourse on the sheer beauty of what we were viewing. Upstairs, in the exhibit on costumes, I'd had a similar experience. A man turned to me to say he'd never have come here on his own but he found what he was viewing terribly interesting. And we haven't even gotten to the third exhibit, a student's photographic journey depicting "The Last Living Headhunters". The whole thing adds up to a great experience, easily worth the zero dollars you've paid to enter. That's right: Zero dollars. At a time when most other museums are charging $20 - $25 just to cross their threshold, The Museum at FIT charges nothing, not even a suggested donation fee. In general, I enjoy experiencing new and different things each time I return to a familiar place but there are always a few things which I make time to revisit. The Museum at FIT falls into that category. Free, always interesting, and with frequently changing exhibits add up to great reasons to return to a place. If you've never yet been, all the more reason to make time to do so (even if you're male and falsely assume that "fashion" exhibits will hold no interest). Manhattan has plenty of other places that'll grab your wallet and squeeze. I'd like this museum even if there was an admission charge but since there's not, I like it even more. read more

I love this museum. If you a fashion lover, you will love it. I have been to several exhibits here and they have all been great. read more

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This was the first time that I have been to the FIT Museum, but it was a real treat - and it was free! My daughter, a fashion merchandising major, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the exhibits. The outfits follow the years, and I remain amazed at the historical clothing they have. It was a pleasure and was so interesting! I highly recommend taking time to wander through the exhibits. We also went in the exhibit they had across the street, one by a fashion designer/artist. We loved seeing her (gorgeous) sketches and getting to know about her and her activism through her designs. read more

Its not big, but it is FREE and the content is good for those aspiring to be in the fashion world. I wouldn't make it a "tourist" stop unless this is your thing, but if you are also in the area, why not stop in? Good, small museum of fashion history and current trends. read more

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Can I say I enjoyed this museum the most compared with all the other main stream big shot museums like MOMA, the Met, etc? Maybe because there are few ppl and didn't charge an admission, and most importantly there was a good theme-Pink? Nothing makes me happier and more fulfilled than feminine power! Bold, elegant and proud that we are sexy and have the power! Suggest everyone go see it and read the explanation too. read more

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PROS: 4 stars because it was free, in the city, and had some pretty dresses categorized by era and style. Interesting video, free restroom. CON: small, saw it within 25 minutes. My guy friend was somewhat bored since there were only 3 pieces of male clothing. read more