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Displaying (1 - 8 of 8)
- Title
- Wow Factor: 150 Years of Bold Clothes
- Description
- Wow Factor, 150 Years of Collecting Bold Clothes showcases gems of the Western Reserve Historical Society’s costume collection, on display in the Chisholm Halle Costume Wing. “Wow factor” is clothing’s ability to inspire feelings of wonder and awe. These emotions are triggered by beauty, craftsmanship, rarity, and humor. Through delicate textiles, bold color, a surprising silhouette, and glittering sequins, each of these qualities entices the viewer and empowers the wearer. It takes bold people to wear these clothes. Although the collection contains menswear and children’s clothing, Wow Factor highlights women, so often left out by the historical record. This collection celebrates women who are immigrants, scholars, travelers, artists, designers, philanthropists, and CEOs. They are Jewish, Jordanian, Japanese, African American, and transgender. Above all, they are Clevelanders.
- Title
- Boy’s Coat
- Description
- Despite its European origins, plaid developed distinctly American incarnations. Pennsylvania’s Woolrich Woolen Mills first made a buffalo plaid (red and black checked) shirt during the 1850s, and Oregon’s Pendleton Woolen Mills became known for its plaids starting in the 1860s. The association with early 20th-century outdoorsmen and loggers conjures visions of lumberjacks and the fabled giant, Paul Bunyan, in plaid flannel shirts. For many, plaid has come to symbolize rugged masculinity and wholesome American heritage.The newest incarnation of the classic lumberjack is known as the “urban woodsman,” and is just one brand of the 21st-century hipster. This look necessitates the flannel, boots, and beard of yesteryear, combined with a modern lifestyle., Gift of Barbara Thatcher Williams, 2006.28.16. Featured in "Mad for Plaid" Exhibit.
- Title
- Shirt and Jacket
- Description
- Despite its European origins, plaid developed distinctly American incarnations. Pennsylvania’s Woolrich Woolen Mills first made a buffalo plaid (red and black checked) shirt during the 1850s, and Oregon’s Pendleton Woolen Mills became known for its plaids starting in the 1860s. The association with early 20th-century outdoorsmen and loggers conjures visions of lumberjacks and the fabled giant, Paul Bunyan, in plaid flannel shirts. For many, plaid has come to symbolize rugged masculinity and wholesome American heritage.The newest incarnation of the classic lumberjack is known as the “urban woodsman,” and is just one brand of the 21st-century hipster. This look necessitates the flannel, boots, and beard of yesteryear, combined with a modern lifestyle., Shirt: Kentcrest. Gift of Arthur Born, 73.44.13. Jacket: Pendleton. Worn in Cleveland by Allen Mednik. Gift of Mrs. Allen Mednik, 91.74.34. Featured in "Mad for Plaid" Exhibit.
- Title
- Evening Dress
- Description
- After decades of romance, Parisian designers looked to the future. Andre Courreges and Pierre Cardin created playful, futuristic looks like Greta Millikin’s whimsical polka-dot dress. Greta filled her home with French furniture, and her closet with French fashion. During the 1980s, First Lady Nancy Reagan’s influence created a patriotic push toward American designers, but Greta continued to collect Parisian couture., The Mrs. Severance A. Millikin Collection. Featured in "Si Jolie!" Exhibit.
- Title
- Jacket
- Description
- Plaid makes its annual comeback when cold weather arrives. Cozy wool skirts and coats bring warmth and cheer to the winter season. Cleveland’s Steve Cagliostro Jr. even designed his own wool jacket for Christmas Day while working for the menswear brand Joseph & Feiss. Many American families carry on a tradition of pulling out the same garment each year at holiday time. For some, the festivities provide an excuse to wear a vibrant pattern such as Chisholm Halle’s Buchanan tartan pants. Others use holiday parties as an excuse to wear something new, such as this 1976 plaid jumpsuit., Joseph & Feiss Co. Worn in Cleveland by Steve Cagliostro, Jr. Gift of Teresa Romano, 1999.31.11. Featured in "Mad for Plaid" Exhibit.
- Title
- Evening Dress
- Description
- In the 1870s, Paris was reborn following the Franco-Prussian War. As Napoleon III waged territorial battles with the Germans, the conflict affected spirits, trade, finance, and travel. As Parisian life returned to normal, Cleveland tourists braved the trans-Atlantic voyage. By 1895, Harper’s Magazine even criticized those who seemed to come only for fashion: “...American girls never see anything of Paris during their four weeks’ stay there each summer, because so much of their time is taken up at the dress-makers’.” In 1880, after a decade of European travels and a proposal from a Parisian Count, Helen Cowles married the Secretary of the US Legion, George Pomeroy, in Paris. This dress by Madame Dumonteil may have been part of her trousseau. Clevelanders recommended couturiers to friends, and in 1886 Helen’s neighbor Emma Sterling wrote about two-hour fittings for her Dumonteil gowns, which cost up to $90, roughly $2200 today., Gift of Julia Pomeroy. Featured in "Si Jolie!" Exhibit.
- Title
- Mad for Plaid
- Description
- Plaid is created by weaving different colored yarns to form stripes intersecting at right angles. When the horizontal and vertical groupings are identical, the plaid is considered a tartan. The origins of Scottish tartans were seeded centuries ago, but theirs is a history steeped in fantasy. Scotland’s “traditional” highland dress and the association of tartans with clans were actually fabricated by the English during the early 19th century. The assignment was, in fact, given randomly by weavers in preparation for George IV’s visit to Edinburgh in 1822 and held fast. Thereafter popularized as a fashion trend by Queen Victoria, plaid has the ability to transform style from classic, to preppy, hip, and even subversive. It can be serious and subdued, or bright and festive: it’s a chameleon. Since plaid’s entry into the fashion world, Ohio’s men, women, and children have worn the fabric as a way to showcase their identities. Today, plaid celebrates the season, shows school pride, embraces heritage, and expresses a particular brand of rugged American style.
- Title
- Cocktail Dress
- Description
- The effects of the Great Depression and World War II reached far and wide, including the way people dressed. For reasons of expense and principle, many Americans eschewed French fashion during these periods, but everything changed with Christian Dior. In 1947, he created the “New Look” which emphasized a return to traditional femininity (women were expected to leave wartime work and return to the home) through hourglass silhouettes and sumptuous materials., Gift of Mrs. Kenyon C. Bolton. Featured in "Si Jolie!" Exhibit.