We celebrate America’s birthday this weekend and that naturally makes one think of America’s birthplace, Philadelphia. And any fashionistas visiting the City of Brotherly Love this summer may want to pop in to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to catch two complementary exhibits: Shopping in Paris: French Fashion 1850-1925 and Something to Wear: Fashion in Print 1850-1925.

Now, as you know, we tend to concentrate on contemporary vintage over here at Zuburbia. Yes, contemporary vintage–it’s quite the oxymoron! But it just means that we focus on vintage clothing that, regardless of the decade, is still considered stylish, fashionable and wearable today…and that pretty much rules out the bustles and hoop skirts of the late 19th century.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate learning about this earlier fashion history. So we think we’d enjoy perusing the displayed books, periodicals, film clips and ephemera in these two exhibits. And we suspect we’d be ooh-ing and aah-ing over the nearly 25 rarely or never-before-seen garments, including designs by the House of Worth and Lanvin.

Yes, that would be a wonderful afternoon delight for a vintage fashionista!

More information available at Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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