The Astronaut's Old Clothes

{image via Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum collection}

Have you ever heard the phrase, "the clothes make the man?" While education, experience and passion for space are all important aspects in the career of an astronaut, you can't get very far without the proper wardrobe. There's a neat interactive feature on the New York Times website that gives you a chance for a closer look at many different articles of clothing and gear used by NASA scientists.

Some of the items shown have never been to space, such as prototypes and test suits. Others played a much more important role, including the Apollo AL-7 suit worn by Buzz Aldrin when he stepped onto the moon. Some of these suits are on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, but if you can't visit there anytime soon, hop over to the NY Times feature and take a look. Click on any part of the image to zoom in and explore.

If you were designing a spacesuit, what would it look like? What features would you include? What color would it be? It's fun to think about!