Those two worlds converge for "Fashion in Film: Period Costumes for the Screen," Winterthur's new exhibit featuring clothing from films set over several centuries. The pieces in the traveling exhibition all come off the racks at Cosprop Ltd., a British costumer specializing in historical reproduction.

"The magnificent costumes amassed in 'Fashion in Film' will, at the most basic level, inspire, enlighten and delight all but the most jaded museum visitor," says on-site curator Kathleen Kiefer, throwing down the gauntlet for our mostly cynical readership. "By viewing these costumes, visitors will get a sense of the true physical stature of their favorite stars—something not always evident in films and on television."

So prepare to measure your own proportions against Cate Blanchett's green velvet dancing get-up from Elizabeth, Kate Winslet's wedding dress from Sense and Sensibility, Colin Firth's evening outfit from Pride and Prejudice and Madonna's pink silk dress from Evita.

For the most part, the movies included share a certain Merchant-Ivoriness that can withstand the ornate grandeur of Winterthur's halls. Even the most multiplex-friendly of the films, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, is represented not by a dust-beaten leather jacket, hat and bullwhip, but by a bejeweled Little Maharajah outfit.

According to Kiefer, both the collection and Winterthur strive to maintain high levels of beauty and historical accuracy. "The intent in all of the productions represented was to create an authentic depiction of the time and place in which the story's action is set," she says.

"When working in the realm of period costume there are constraints within which the designer must work," she adds. "They can push the limits a little for the sake of character development, but they can't step too far beyond the bounds."

To that end, says Kiefer, establishments such as Winterthur are often called upon by filmmakers for their own research. "Costumes for the screen, in contrast to those created for the stage, must bear up under the scrutiny of camera close-ups, so they demand scrupulous attention to even the finest details," she explains. "Museum collections and surviving period garments are relied upon as sources of information as to exactly what these fine details are."

During the run of the exhibit, Winterthur will also present a series of events and lectures tied into the theme. Jane Austen, who is especially prominent with costumes taken from adaptations of her work, will get her own day with readings and instructions on the proper way to "take tea." There will be discussions on the role and function of costume in film, and a presentation on "Underwear in Film and in Fact," which many of the characters who fleshed out this wardrobe surely would have considered ribald or scandalous.