After spending the day in Portsmouth, “Project Runway” star Austin Scarlett said he can see where Seacoast fashion designers get their inspiration.

“You’re just really surrounded by constant beauty,” he said at Strawbery Banke Museum’s recent Passion for Fashion Gala.

As pretty as it is, Portsmouth is not generally considered the world’s most stylish city. But many residents have long been fashion-conscious and, this summer, what we wear and have worn is the theme of several related events.

At the gala, organized by Lawrence and Janet Larose, Scarlett hosted a high-fashion runway show, the likes of which the city has never seen. It featured some of his glamorous gowns along with the garments and accessories of many other notable designers, from local to international, all inspired by the museum’s historical collection of clothing. Models strutted up and down a makeshift runway beneath a tent on the museum’s property, striking poses in custom dresses, hats and footwear.

Scarlett took the event’s “black tie optional” dress suggestion, pairing his tie with a slim-fitting patterned suit coat for a contemporary edge. He also designed a flirty strapless dress with a bow worn by Janet Larose.

Those who missed the gala can still see some of the garments in the exhibit, “Thread: Stories of Fashion at Strawbery Banke, 1740-2012,” in six different houses at the museum in Portsmouth. It runs through Oct. 31.

The new designs in the exhibit are set up in contrast to the period pieces, some of which have been returned to the settings where they were once worn for the first time. Scarlett noted that it’s a unique opportunity to see historical clothing in its original context.

Another taste of fashion history is available in “People, Places and Pantaloons,” an exhibit of style along the Salmon Falls through the lives of four area families. It’s on display through October at Counting House Museum in South Berwick, Maine.

At the same time, “The Height of Propriety” recently opened at the Portsmouth Athenaeum and runs through Sept. 15. It shows the fashions of its past proprietors, mostly from the PortsmouthHistorical Society’s collection. These people were among the city’s elite, and their clothing reflected that, said curator Sandra Rux.

Items in the Athenaeum’s Randall Room include the feathered militia hat of Charles Brewster (1802-1869), as well as his famous book, “Rambles about Portsmouth.” The elegant court coat of Edmund Roberts (1784-1836), a merchant and first envoy to the “Far East,” is accompanied by a copy of the trade treaty he negotiated.

There are three dresses in the Athenaeum’s exhibit, including an ivory silk wedding gown from 1881 that once belonged to Mary Ann Morrison May, who lived in two historical houses in Portsmouth.

A gallery talk is planned as part of Fashion Night Out on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Select Portsmouth retailers are again participating in Fashion Night Out, an international celebration. Downtown businesses such as Fa La Lo, Paradiza, and Puttin’ on the Glitz will offer after-hours shopping specials, receptions and demonstrations.

For more information on Fashion Night Out, visit www.portsmouthchamber.org. For more on the Athenaeum exhibit, visit www.portsmouthathenaeum.org. For more on the Counting House exhibit, visit www.oldberwick.org. And for more on the Strawbery Banke exhibit, visit www.strawberybanke.org.