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The 19 th century witnessed the emergence of university and art museums in Europe and the United States. Collections within these museums were often started through personal objects or bequests for the improvement of the university and its constituents, serving an important part of the research and teaching mission of these institutions (Boylan 1999). The collections, or groups of objects stored in one location, often focused on a particular subject, such as fine art, botany, zoology, etc. Or in the case of the Courtland Institute of Art of the University of London, a collection of textiles and French Impressionist works donated by textile industrialist Samuel Courtauld (Boylan 1999). Today, academic collections of historic dress and textiles can range from small groups of objects to multiple collections housed and exhibited in world-renowned institutions such as the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles (Welters and Ordoñez 2011). The use of objects from collections of dress and textiles can make subjects such as dress history come to life. As stated by Riello (2011: 1): 'At an analytical level, the study of fashion and the history of fashion in particular, includes both abstract concepts and material objects'. It is the critical reflection on the material culture object that is a pivotal element in the repertoire of skills for industry professionals (Ryan and Brough 2012). As Sauro (2009: 1939) noted, the study of real garments was often considered ' essential' when teaching techniques and construction to apparel students. Even with the plethora of online and digitized images of historic textiles and clothing, the material object provides a tactile example that deepens the knowledge base contributing to more complex scholarly interpretation (Riello 2011). Indeed, previous scholars have found that examining historic textiles and clothing provides students with experiential learning opportunities to increase their creativity, enhance their understanding of fashion history, and provide connections between coursework in dress history and apparel design (Gam and Banning 2012). Historic dress and textile collections serve as valuable resources that help support the teaching, research, and outreach mission of many colleges and universities (Welters and Ordoñez 2011). Additionally, collections can be used as a fundraising tool for private donors. Managing these collections is a challenge however, particularly due to lack of time, money, and expertise. As such, in their seminal monograph Welters and Ordoñez provided ten guidelines to aid managers and administrators of such collections in the areas of mission, staff, organizational system, storage, policies for accessioning, deaccessioning, loaning objects, classroom use, exhibition, emergency response and recovery, and documentation of a collection's value to the university. Despite the amount of work and resources necessary for the proper functioning of historic textile collections and museums, the close examination of clothing can enrich underst...

For centuries, the fashion industry has struggled to reconcile style with sustainability. In Historical Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion, you will be transported back in time to discover the historical dimensions of today’s sustainable fashion movement. An array of success stories and cautionary tales provide both inspiration and warnings for the eco-conscious designer, encouraging an innovative approach that builds on predecessors’ discoveries to move the practice of fashion forward. The 1st edition, Sustainable Fashion: Past, Present and Future, emerged from the Museum at FIT’s ground-breaking exhibition ‘Eco-Fashion: Going Green’. This revised edition broadens perspectives even further, incorporating eye-opening examples of designers, brands and activists working for change across the world today. Likewise, a new chapter examines the globalized mainstream fashion system and historical alternatives that provide compelling inspiration for reimagining the status quo. Fascinating and timely, Historical Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion examines progressive fashion through a historical lens, encouraging readers to question the state of the industry and demonstrating the value of historical insights in enabling and inspiring change.

Teaching" model for application to the historic costume and textile collection focus.

Introduction. Comments from students during an informal mid-semester feedback activity in spring 2019 prompted the development of an online history of menswear course. These students, enrolled in a survey course on twentieth-century fashion, expressed disappointment that they were not learning as much about men's apparel as they were about women's clothing. The first (and experimental) version of this course was delivered during the spring 2020 semester and was offered for a second time during fall 2020.The course has three main objectives: a) to cover important changes in European and American menswear from the Renaissance to the present, including special topics such as dandyism and subcultural styles; b) to situate men's dress in the social, cultural, political, economic, environmental, and technological contexts of the Western world; and c) whenever possible, to urge critical thinking about dominant narratives in history, and how the experiences of those communities who have been marginalized may differ. This course is delivered in an asynchronous online format making it accessible to students locally and globally. The demand for online learning options is growing (Dillon, 2018, p. 123). This was true even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the reconfiguration of our "normal" ways of teaching during this crisis has only served to magnify the need for quality online course offerings. As a humanities elective within the apparel program, this course provides interested students with a more well-rounded and critical understanding of menswear.Rationale for Course Development. Recent research suggests that sales of men's apparel are outpacing that of women's apparel, with much of the growth being seen in the influence of casual styles and streetwear-a trend felt even within the luxury category (Bain, 2018). Scholar Jeffrey Horsley has noted: "Recent years have… seen a marked intensification of interest in fashionable menswear in the commercial field" (2017, p. 13). According to Women's Wear Daily: "The entire men's wear market is expected to surpass women's wear by 2021, and everyone from mainstream retailers like Nike to luxury fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton to celeb clothing lines like Yeezy are looking to capitalize on the trend" (Mikhailov, 2019, para. 2). The growth in market share in menswear may result in more job opportunities-as well as more interest-in menswear for students in apparel programs.The apparel program's current history of fashion survey courses do address clothing for both men and women, but in practice women's clothing is the primary focus. Given the broad nature 2020 Proceedings