近代是中国纺织服饰发展的一个特殊历史时期，包括晚清和民国两个阶段，即鸦片战争到中华人民共和国成立之间（1840～1949）。这一时期，传统织造技术和复杂华丽的服饰制度受到西式面料、纹样和剪裁方式的冲击，出现了传统服饰到现代服饰的转变。此次陈列主要挑选可以代表和反映这一转变过程的实物，对于完全西化的服装则不在展示范围之内。

本馆主要由近代纺织服饰实物来承载，并附以少量图像资料。展品以中国传统服装为主，亦包括部分饰品，衣服之面料则基本涵盖了当时的织物种类。展览内容分为女装、男装和童装三部分，每部分基本以时间为序，以展示近代纺织服饰由晚清至民国时期的演变过程。

The modern period of China (1840-1949A.D.) was a special historical period, including the late Qing Dynasty (1840-1912) and the Republic of China (1912-1949). In this period, Chinese textile and costume development as traditional weaving techniques and intricate ornate costume system came under challenge of western fabrics, patterns and clipping and thus engendered the transition from traditional to modern styles. Here on display are collections representing and reflecting this transition while those wholly-westernized ones not covered in the exhibition.

The Modern China exhibition is mainly based on collections of modern Chinese textile and costume and reinforced by some pictures. Here the collections in exhibition focus on traditional Chinese costumes while also including some accessories and covering almost all kinds of fabrics available then. The items on display fall into three categories, women’s wear, men’s wear and children’s wear, each basically arranged chronologically to present textile and costume transformation from the late Qing dynasty to the Republic of China Period.