A new attraction at the Occidental Hotel is the Women’s History Gallery of 20 th Century Fashion showcasing an exhibit called “Flappers to Fringe,” which features vintage women’s clothing of the 1920s to 1970s. The exhibit is staged in 6 life-sized dioramas, one for each decade, that include a life-like female mannequin with her steamer trunk, staged as if she’s a fashionable young lady of the day who’s just arrived at the Occidental, is unpacking and getting ready for an event. The scenes and accompanying brochure tell the story of how people, places and events influenced what the women of the time period wore and the reasons why hemlines rose and fell and what prompted the change in silhouettes. The exhibit is beautiful, interesting and educational and shows the fashion industry’s impact on society.

The opening of the new gallery was made possible through a partnership with the exhibit’s owner Leslie Drollinger Stratmoen of Riverton, Wyoming, and hotel proprietors Jackie and David Stewart. Stratmoen created and designed the exhibit from her own personal collection of more than 3,000 artifacts of women’s clothing, accessories and household items she’s collected over her lifetime of performing and costuming theatrical productions. Most of the pieces were collected in Wyoming, so this is the American West’s historical presentation of women’s fashion that does prove that even cowgirls did wear flapper dresses and mini-skirts.

The exhibit is on loan to the hotel museum through April of 2026, with mannequins scheduled to be redressed seasonally. Tours are offered daily. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel at 307-684-0451 or by stopping by the hotel lobby. The exhibit is supported in part by the Wyoming Humanities Council and Johnson County Tourism Association. A preview of a portion of the collection can be seen online at: flapperstofringevintage.com.