News, Tips & Bargains : ‘Waist Not,’ Want Not

Fashion designers, depending on their mood and their era, move waistlines up or down or just ignore them. They’ve been doing this since the 18th Century, which is the starting point for “Waist Not,” on exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art through Aug. 21. “ ‘Waist Not’ goes beyond the traditional costume exhibition to tell a larger story--that of the cultural definition of the body and self-esteem,” says curator Richard Martin. Two of the styles on display are by Paul Poiret, left, Pauline Trigere, right.