Museo del Traje — Attraction in Madrid

The day was one of those frigid windy winter days in Madrid that chill you to the bone, especially if you walk there from the metro station- a good 10 mins away on wide avenues which only act as wind tunnels....When I arrived I was greeted by an impressive über-modern "container- looking" building - the only drawback was the equally impressive set of cement stairs that lead up to the main entrance(*). I am sure they had a wheelchair accessible elevator from the ground up but I didn't have time nor the inclination to look for it!! Now as a veritable human popsicle I was greeted, -after trudging up the stairs- by a large but well heated foyer (which was appreciated instantly). It was sweetly staffed by welcoming people who chuckled commiseratingly at my thankful antics. It is an easy museum to navigate (all on one floor) and the collection here was far fuller (in regards to the male clothing) than the one in Barcelona. It is amazing how, as a society, the man has been pressured from wearing intricate and delicate embroidery with beautiful floral patterns to a stark simple dark clothing with no embellishment excepting, perhaps, the cut. The only nod to a more changeling offer for the guys was the modern and future clothing, which was interesting. The female showcase was very prevalent throughout the ages and explains pretty well what the intricacy of the layers were. The most amazing is to consider the fact that the apparatus to enhance the "derrier" was ever worn... Most of the clothing was representative of the high society so I really enjoyed the great collection of what the less "economically proud" wore- which shows far more useful logic in its design. There is also a modest lineup (13?) of clothing designed for the blind to be able to touch and get a feeling of the changes in clothing (mostly female, one male) during the ages. I found this wonderfully inclusive. They could offer a taped explanation (or on tablets in Braille?) of each piece (in the "sighted" part) for those that are recently blind but remember colors and textures? I would have liked a bit more info of each: the materials used, the name of the designer (if known), the price it might have cost (translated to nowadays euros). One thing that was commendable is that all the explanations, that were there, were translated into English. I would suggest they look into using l.e.d. lighting for those windows where light was very dim so not to damage the cloth...what is the use if you can't see it?!

Overall a great museum! Doable in one hour or so (since it has few placards), with a couple of didactic screens to explain some of the displays...

(*)Oh there is also a lovely looking cafe and a temporary collection (they were announcing "Jeans") both of which are at ground level but I didn't have the time to visit. I highly recommend it (but dress -ha!- well if coming from the metro in winter time!) P.S. I asked if they ever staged a real "runway"(pasarela) of modern designs (they could be students' creations?!) but they didn't understand my question and seemed...

We visited the Museo del Traje again over the weekend, and it continues to be one of Madrid’s hidden gems. Despite its location on the edge of the city, it wasn’t very busy—which actually made for a peaceful and enjoyable experience. It’s a perfect option if you’re planning to spend time in nearby parks or looking for a quieter cultural stop away from the city center.

This time, we went specifically for the seasonal exhibitions, and admission was free. The exhibitions were well-curated and offered a fresh perspective on fashion and design. The museum staff were all very friendly and attentive, which added to the overall positive experience.

There’s also a nice café on site where you can relax with some food, coffee, or a drink—ideal for a break during your visit. Don’t miss the gift shop downstairs either. It has a great selection of fashion-related books and unique items that are definitely worth browsing.

All in all, the Museo del Traje is a wonderful blend of fashion, history, and calm atmosphere—definitely worth a visit whether you’re a fashion enthusiast or just looking for a quieter cultural...

The contents of the collection are varied and encompass up to or over 5 centuries of clothing! That part was amazing, the not so amazing part is the information cards on the items displayed, very little information is provided on any given piece, such as name of that piece: blouse, skirt, shirt, etc. and year. o and the internal accounting-inventory number of the item why???? I would much rather know the if that given piece belonged to a king, queen, infanta, and such. Tha same effort that was given to the pieces at the very entrance of the museum in the permanent collection should be given to all pieces, at the entrance there is a collection of pieces made for a TV serie dating back to 1900-1920 ish, and they have all kinds of info on this, that was great, but why did they cut back so drastically on the rest? Perhaps there is a list that may include contact info on people that donated most of the pieces in the museum back in 1925 for that exposition that led way to this museum, more investigative work...