Historical Textiles and Apparel Collection
Kay Jay, Ph.D., Director
Office: GEA 217
Office Phone: 512-471-4836 and 512-471-5097
Office Fax: 512-471-5630
Email: kayjay@mail.utexas.edu
The Division of Textiles and Apparel, School of Human Ecology, holds a collection of nearly 4000 textile and apparel items.
Artifacts date from an 1820 empire bodice in mint condition to 1980's women's daytime and evening apparel and accessories. Designers represented in the collection include Adolfo, Balenciaga, Beene, Capucci, Chanel, Connolly, de la Renta, Galanos, Givenchy, Halston, Herrera, Irene, Klein, Lacroix, Lanvin, Mainbocher, Pucci, Scaasi, St. Laurent, and Trigere. The collection includes numerous presentation gowns and a number of l960's/70's polyester doubleknits!
Every major period of fashion since 1850 is represented with garments and accessories. Our extensive hat collection dates from the l880's. Shoes date from 1840.
Japanese and Indian textiles along with representative American quilts, paisley shawls, and early embroidered shawls embellish the collection. A 900 piece commemorative textiles collection designed by Frankie Welch includes scarves, ties, umbrellas and bags saluting all US presidents from Lyndon Johnson to George Bush. We include UT orange jackets from the 1940s and 1980s and a silk Bevo scarf from the 1930s.
