What’s in the wardrobe of the average person in Greece in the past and today?

Following the example of other museums, the CMLE started to collect all the items of clothing belonging to one person. The creation of this special collection on the theme of wardrobes is not aimed simply at gathering every item of clothing or footwear belonging to an individual. It focuses on studying the “wardrobe contents” of people from different social classes, which can reveal information on the sartorial preferences of users and how styles change over the decades, while also providing insights into their buying, using and disposal behaviour, the “push” and “pull” factors that determine the inflow and outflow of clothes in a closet, or what is considered a consumable fashion product and what a timeless one. It can also lead to certain useful conclusions about the objects themselves – for example, the lifespan of higher-quality clothes as opposed to fast fashion.

Right now, the unit contains clothes from the “closet” of Eleni Anastasiadou (Athens, 18/1/1927-4/1/2021), which she wore on special occasions, as well as everyday clothing, and even unworn ensembles with the labels still attached, all from the 1940s up to the 2000s. Some are made to order by seamstresses, while others bear labels of manufacturers of ready-to-wear garments or well-known boutiques in Athens.