Since ancient times, men and women have altered the form and appearance of their body through hairstyles, jewellery, tattoos and, above all, garments. Each period’s way of dressing has to do with moral, social and aesthetic codes.

Fashion imposes ideals of beauty. Silhouettes and volumes are altered – nature gives way to artifice. The exhibition, “Dressing the body”, depicts the transformations the body has undergone, prompted by changes in clothing involving five different actions, which tend to either confine or liberate it.

– Enlarge: Creating volume through stiff, bulky structures or fabrics that separate the body from the garment – petticoats, crinolines and bustles.
– Reduce: Diminishing the body’s natural forms, particularly the torso and waist – corsets, bras, girdles and bodices.
– Lengthen: Stretching one’s image to make the body appear taller – high-heeled and platform shoes, hairstyles, hats and dresses with tails.
– Outline: Contouring body forms and etching one’s silhouette – stockings, gloves and elastic-fabric or woollen corselettes.
– Reveal: Insinuating one’s shape, baring flesh and arms and showing skin – see-through fabrics, short dresses, sleeveless or with a deep plunge.

Based on these five concepts, “Dressing the body” proposes an unprecedented walk through the history of dress, against the backdrop of the Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària de Barcelona’s collection of garments and accessories and a selection of graphic media – period photographs and prints – accompanied by explanatory texts on the workings of fashion.

Venue: DHUB Pedralbes, avinguda Diagonal, 686 (Palau de Pedralbes)
Opening Times: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Bank Holidays, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Price: See the section on Practical Information

Credits
Organisation: Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHUB)
Curators: Teresa Bastardes & Sílvia Ventosa
Restoration & Mannequinage: Carmen Lebrón
Cardboard Mannequin Assemblage: Carmen Lucini
Spatial Design: Julia Schulz-Dornburg, collaborator – Eugenia Troncoso
Installation Coordinator: Carmina Borbonet
Production: Grop
Lighting: Antoni Rueda
Graphic Design: Studio laVista
Audiovisual Design: Digit
Photography: La Fotogràfica