Clothing from UD's Historic Costume and Textiles Collection on display at the Nemours Mansion in Wilmington, Delaware as part of their 2018 holiday display. - (Evan Krape / University of Delaware)

Holiday displays at the Nemours Mansion include these children’s outfits from UD’s Historic Costume and Textiles Collection. The girl’s off-white dress with “Twas the night before Christmas” embroidered on the skirt dates from the late 1950s or early 1960s and was a gift of Alexander and Angela Doberanz; the boy’s “Elegant Heir” blue double-breasted suit dates from the 1960s and was a gift from Delaware Theatre Company.

Holidays in fashion

Article by Ann Manser December 20, 2018

Nemours Mansion displays vintage clothing from UD collection

Vintage clothing from a University of Delaware collection is adding to the visitor experience at this year’s Holiday Tour at the Nemours Mansion, just north of Wilmington, Delaware.

The 77-room mansion, built by Alfred I. duPont around 1910 in the style of a classic French chateau, features special decorations for the Christmas season. This year, the displays include four mannequins dressed in items on loan from UD’s Historic Costume and Textiles Collection.

Two students in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies — undergraduate Sarah Brennan-Martin and graduate student Patience Ankomah — set up the exhibits that showcase pieces from the 1950s and ’60s. The featured clothing includes a woman’s evening gown, a man’s tuxedo, a girl’s holiday-themed dress and a boy’s suit.

“The collaboration with Nemours provided a wonderful opportunity for the students to participate in and learn about the process to prepare for an off-site exhibit,” said Dilia López-Gydosh, the collection curator and an assistant professor of fashion and apparel studies.

The Historic Costume and Textiles Collection consists of more than 4,000 items, including women’s, men’s and children’s clothing and accessories, as well as textiles from the 18th through the 21st centuries.

The holiday exhibit continues through Dec. 30. Information about the Nemours estate, including hours and admission charges, is available at this website.