A Glance at Pants

Pants from the collections of the Weltmuseum Wien will be juxtaposed with new creations: In collaboration with young creatives from three Viennese fashion schools, we want to explore and stage the literal fabric used to ostentatiously display or thoroughly conceal the lower half of the body.

Expectations of clothing traditions read as masculine or feminine will be subjected to a fact check, which will use creative means to address the shaky ground on which our stereotypical ideas stand. We also want to see what stories children’s pants from different parts of the world can tell and how they were and still are featured in them.

A varied series of workshops and hands-on activities will encourage visitors of all ages to get involved and hopefully fuel the anticipation of more pants to come – because A Glance at Pants sees itself as an hors d’œuvre, a discursive appetizer to the major 2025 special exhibition at the Weltmuseum Wien: Wer hat die Hosen an? // Who’s Wearing the Pants?