Man's Shirt Cut in European Style

About this Brooklyn Icon

The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.

Though historical accounts rarely offer the perspectives of Indigenous women, the artworks these women created serve as a lasting record of their vitality and innovation. Made by a woman likely from the Métis or Eastern Dakota tribal community, this shirt is adorned with intricate floral beadwork designs and fringe along the sleeves and hem. Cut from buckskin and with a European-style tailored fit, it departs from the loose-fitting shirts traditionally worn by Indigenous men from this region. The garment’s aesthetics reflect an interesting history of settler-Indigenous entanglement and the vital role Indigenous women played in navigating a world changed by colonization.

By making special garments with goods acquired through trade, such as silk thread and glass beads, women clothed community members, earned income to support their families, and transformed enduring artistic practices. In the 19th century, many Métis girls attended mission schools where white nuns taught them embroidery techniques and motifs, which students then indigenized to create the distinctive style seen on this shirt.