FIDM's Historical Costume Collection

Check out Fred Astaire's top hat. Get a close-up of the leather trousers Marlena Dietrich wore or the suit of lights that made Rudolph Valentino a matinee idol. FIDM's Los Angeles Costume Library houses over 6,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present.

Students can study the construction of early Edwardian costumes, feel the beading on a 1920's flapper dress, touch an 18th century ivory fan, discover what California's First Families wore through the ages or find themselves up-close-and-personal with a topless swimsuit. FIDM's Costume Library tours internationally.