The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City will feature a special exhibit on pioneer clothing June 29 through Sept. 1.

andquot;Riches to Rags: Clothing on the Oregon Trailandquot; will be presented in the Flagstaff Gallery. Kelly Burns, the Center’s visitor information specialist, created this detailed look at the 1800s trail-era fashions that includes clothing, historic images and quotes.

Clothing and styles from any historical time period offer a way to learn about technology and society in another time and place, and andquot;Riches to Ragsandquot; features an assortment of actual historical pieces and reproduction clothing.

The display depicts typical fashions of pioneers before they left on their journey, and tells how they had to abandon conventional fashion and personal style for the practicality and durability of survival on the dusty trail.

The exhibit portrays how andquot;clothing went from fashion to function … as the harsh realities of the journey were imposed upon the men, women, and children day after difficult day,andquot; Burns said.

The exhibit explains the reasoning behind some of the fashions: Why did women want voluminous dresses with yards of fabric in long, billowy skirts, and tight bodices? Why would a man feel underdressed if he had to appear in public without his vest or jacket? Were children overly encumbered in their play and chores wearing small versions of the adult clothing?

Even though styles were mostly generic, it is interesting to note that resourceful pioneer women, both for looks and durability, often customized clothing. Different designs and shapes were created with changeable collars and cuffs and with various trims using crochet, embroidery and piping.

Most Americans in the mid-19th century owned only one to two sets of clothing, along with one to two pairs of shoes. Pioneers on the trail had no laundry facilities other than a bar of handmade soap in a cold river.

The exhibit will include reproduction versions of historic clothing styles that visitors will be allowed to touch. Children can also try on smaller versions of pioneer outfits.

The Interpretive Center is five miles east of Baker City on Highway 86. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission for adults is $5. Seniors are $3.50. Children 15 and under are free.