There’s no need to don your corset or three-piece suit for Historic Deerfield’s opening exhibition this season.

When the museum opens up on Saturday, May 3, it will be unveiling its new showcase, “Body by Design: Fashionable Silhouettes from the Ideal to the Real.” The exhibition explores Historic Deerfield’s vast collection of textiles – more than 8,000 objects – which often don’t get the same exposure as the historic houses or other collections because the material is fragile and sensitive to light.

Lauren Whitley, Historic Deerfield’s curator of textiles and clothing, said the show is intended to illustrate that while centuries may have passed since the early colonial days, humans’ relationship to their body image has remained quite consistent, just with the corsets swapped for more modern practices.

“We don’t use these artifical ways to shape our bodies, but we certainly do have our ideals. We go to the gym, we try to tone our bodies, we try to achieve an ideal look,” Whitley said. “We certainly are ascribing to the same wanting to conform our bodies to an idea, I think there’s just more variety today.”

The exhibition features around 25 garments and their understructures, such as corsets, stays and bustles, from the 18th and 19th centuries to show how bodies were shaped, exaggerated or reduced to fit into the clothing, as well as some modern clothing, like Spanx, to show that while society has changed so much, it also remains similar.

Clothing, Whitley said, is a cultural touchstone for everyone, whether they participate in fashion trends or not – “wearing a T-shirt and jeans is an expression that they’ve chosen to do, it still reflects something.”

“Clothes are among the most intimate things. They touch our bodies,” she said. “You may not judge someone for the chair they sit in or the glass they use, but people instantly make assumptions and identify people by their clothes. It’s something that happens automatically.”

How those wardrobe choices explain our personalities and beliefs is a key aspect of the exhibition, as well as how cultural trends affect the clothes we wear, according to Whitley.

“They express something about human nature, that we all have this ongoing desire to use fashion to shape our bodies to project an image, which I still think we do today,” Whitley said. “You don’t change, maybe, your house decorations so quickly, but you certainly adapt your clothes to address new ideas or cultural mores or values.”

The exhibition serves as Whitley’s first exhibition at Historic Deerfield, but far from her first focused on textiles and fashion. She joined the museum in after serving as a senior curator in the Department of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where she developed 14 exhibitions, including 2021’s “Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories” and 2019’s “Women Take the Floor.”

“Body by Design” will be available for viewing at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life through February 2026.

“Body by Design offers a fascinating glimpse into the dialogue between fashion and the human form,” added Historic Deerfield President John Davis. “Historic Deerfield is proud to present this exhibition, which not only showcases our remarkable collection of historic dress but also sparks conversations about how we perceive and shape ourselves across generations. The exhibition underscores Historic Deerfield's commitment to presenting history in dynamic and engaging ways."  

Historic Deerfield opening

The opening of “Body by Design” also marks the opening of Historic Deerfield for the season. The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, as well as Monday holidays, and will remain open through Nov. 30.

Admission to Historic Deerfield, which includes most special programs, is $20 for adults 18 and up, $5 for teens, and free for kids 12 and under. Deerfield residents also receive free admission.

Other opening weekend highlights include “Envisioning America: Deerfield Academy’s Collection of Paintings and Drawings,” which offers a rare opportunity to explore the school’s expansive collection tracing American history through paintings and sketches.

Also on opening weekend is Wooly Wonders, the annual event bringing rare heritage breed sheep up close and personal. Throughout the weekend, guests can watch artisans demonstrate traditional wool processing techniques and try hands-crafts. The event features games, crafts sheepdog herding demonstrations and a food truck will be on site.

For more information, visit historic-deerfield.org.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.