The Historic Costume & Textile Collection
The University of Delaware Historic Costume & Textile Collection was organized in 1971. The collection consists of over 3,000 women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing items, as well as 18th century textiles. Selections from the Collection may be viewed in display cases on the second and third floors of Alison Hall West. Features of the Collection include:
- fashion designer apparel and accessories
- ethnic apparel and artifacts
- regional dress and textiles, representative of Delaware and the Delaware Valley
- searchable database
The collection is used for:
- classroom teaching
- design inspiration
- scholarly study
- public exhibits, lectures, school programs technical assistance to museums, historical preservation societies, local organizations
Electronic Database for the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection. The Searchable Database includes categories for garments, accessories, textile items, and graphic materials. Inventory and documentation of objects in the collection is near completion. Photographs of the objects will be included in the database.
The University of Delaware Historic Costume & Textile Collection is managed by the Department of Fashion & Apparel Studies in cooperation with Center for Historic Architecture and Design.