Washington ( CNN ) -- From bustles to silk chiffon with organza flowers and Swarovski crystals , the newly updated first ladies exhibition at the National Museum of American History is an extravaganza of frills and fashion . The first ladies ' gowns have been shown at the Smithsonian for 97 years in at least 10 separate exhibitions , the latest of which will open to the public on Saturday . Eight of the 26 dresses in `` The First Ladies '' exhibition are new to the display , as the curators work to rotate in different dresses in an attempt to extend the life of the collection as a whole . Light , climate and gravity are harmful to fabric . Taking them off display can help keep the gowns in good condition `` so that this almost hundred-year-old show , the thing that your grandmother brought you to , your granddaughter can bring her granddaughter to come and see , '' said curator Lisa Kathleen Graddy . `` We wanted to balance color and style and time periods and some things that had n't been out before , '' said Graddy . They also wanted to focus on first ladies who had a strong fashion presence , she added . The new additions on display include a dark blue , sparkly flapper-style dress worn by Grace Coolidge , and a pink silk brocade gown worn by Dolley Madison . According to Graddy , first ladies have popularized colors , as Nancy Reagan did with red ; they have been praised for their modest and simple attire , like Lucy Hayes ; and they have been trendsetting icons , like Jacqueline Kennedy . `` They 've also coped with the public interest in their fashion sense , which is a somewhat unexpected part of the job for many first ladies , '' Graddy said . Michelle Obama 's 2009 inaugural gown of white silk chiffon is a centerpiece of the exhibit . The one-shouldered gown designed by Jason Wu shares a display case with the Jimmy Choo shoes and jewelry she wore with the dress . Videos and pictures of the first ladies wearing the gowns accompany the dress display at the museum , adding another dimension to the way visitors see the dresses . In addition to the gowns , `` The First Ladies '' exhibit includes White House china and other personal possessions of first ladies . `` The first ladies ' artifacts make up one of the most enduring and popular collections of the Smithsonian , '' said Marc Pachter , interim director of the American History Museum .
Eight of the 26 dresses in the exhibition are new to the displays . `` We wanted to balance color and style and time periods , '' the curator says . Michelle Obama 's 2009 inaugural gown of white silk chiffon is a centerpiece of the exhibit .