Bonnie Cashin Mustard Raw Silk Dress, 1950

Jacques Heim Sequin Tulle Gown, 1950

Talk about cleaning out the closet!

Nearly 8,000 dresses, pants, undergarments, shoes and hats from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned costume collection will go on the auction block in a series of sales beginning November 4. Signature pieces from some of the most important designers in American fashion will be available including shoes, hats, handbags, and a wide assortment of fashion accessories.

Norman Norell, 1957

Buyers will have a chance to purchase dresses from the world-renowned Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection, begun more than 100 years ago. Included in the upcoming sale are rare pieces from legendary designers such as Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, James Galanos, Mme. Gres, Claire McCardell, Valentina, Anthony Traina, Norman Norell and Bonnie Cashin.

Many of the designers with garments included in the November 4th sale are key figures in the development of American fashion. These items, out of public view for decades, are creating a buzz among museum curators, collectors, fashion designers, costumers, historians and all fans of vintage style (I am sure Rachel Zoe has this on her radar).

Christian Lacroix Couture, 1980s

Mme Gres Gown 1950s

Karen Augusta, whose Augusta Auctions company will hold the sales, says she is still unpacking the truckloads of clothing from Brooklyn and was “blown away” by some three dozen pairs of 18th-century silk and brocade women’s shoes. Augusta, a clothing and textile expert for the PBS program “Antiques Roadshow,” says she has never examined so many shoes from that period at once. The November auction will feature some of those shoes among the 300 to 400 pieces from the Brooklyn collection.

The Brooklyn Museum is cashing in on its clothing after deciding last year to combine its costume collection with that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 23,500-piece Brooklyn collection, which the museum started amassing in 1902, has been little seen by the public in recent years. Such collections are typically expensive to maintain and display because of the care required of the garments.

Norman Norell 1960s

Silver Beaded Flapper Dress 1920s

“They’ve put together really one of the stellar collections, especially of late 19th-century and 20th-century American designers,” says Harold Koda, the curator in charge of the Met’s Costume Institute. “It’s really remarkable.”

The Met and the Brooklyn Museum will hold simultaneous shows this spring of pieces from the Brooklyn collection, with the Met’s annual Costume Institute Gala kicking off the exhibits.

November 4th, 2009

St. Paul Auditorium, 15 Columbus Avenue (at 60th Street), New York City

Preview Times: November 3rd 2pm – 7pm and November 4th 9am – noon

Auction begins: November 4th, 2009 – Noon

Preview of items for sale can be accessed at www.augusta-auction.com

Bonnie Cashin Lame Cocktail Dress 1943

Norman Norell, 1963