In this series of posts, we hope to showcase some remarkable collections in the UNT Digital Library and beyond. These digital scholarship/digital humanities resources are notable for research or simply just to browse! Today’s remarkable collection is the Texas Fashion Collection.

Brief Background
The Texas Fashion Collection is both a physical and digital collection. In 1938, the Texas Fashion Collection (TFC) began as a physical collection housing notable fashion items in an effort to preserve them. The collection has grown substantially over the years and contains more than 18,000 items. The physical TFC is currently housed in a facility on the UNT Campus. Thanks to a partnership, the digital collection resides in UNT Digital Library and contains 5,863 items at the time of this post. Digitization efforts of the Texas Fashion Collection are ongoing. 

Associated Department
UNT Visual Arts + Design

Is this collection just for students?
No! This collection is also a viable resource for the public and researchers.  

Is it just clothes?
There’s so much more than clothes! This collection contains videos, design sketches, sewing pattern envelopes, scrapbooks, dance masks, historical photos in black and white and in color, and more!

Can I find major designers in this collection?
Yes! Designs from Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo, Cristobel Balenciaga, Miuccia Prada, Gianni Versace, and more are in this collection.

What else is notable about this collection? 
TFC contains items from the Dallas Museum of Fashion.

Did you know that…?
– The Texas Fashion Collection 29 decades worth of items from 42 different countries.

– Exhibitions of the Texas Fashion Collection have occurred through partnerships with institutions. 

– The digital collection contains quality images of the items from a variety of angles. Additionally, users can zoom in on each item. This skirt from 1880 features eight images with zoom capabilities on each one detailing the colors, bustle, roses, and ribbons.

University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT College of Visual Arts + Design.