(CNN) -- To say fashion is just clothing is like saying a Picasso is just wallpaper -- sure, you could use it to cover up chipped plaster, but its value is a lot more complex than that.

And while critics deride high fashion as impractical, the elite designers of this world, like the best painters and sculptors, are aiming for something a little closer to the soul.

Now fashion is taking its place in museums -- alongside the kinds of art it has both inspired and drawn inspiration from.

CNN Interactive TravelGuide sizes up three exhibits that reveal the artistry of fashion -- from the height of 18th century Parisian couture to Gianni Versace's cutting-edge designs and the wild threads that mingled with Andy Warhol's art. Try them on for yourself.

ALSO:
CNN's Elsa Klensch on the meeting of fashion and art

BONUS:
Take a scroll through the history of fashion