The Historic and Cultural Textiles and Apparel Collection at Oregon State University offers a unique way for students to explore fashion history. Located on the second floor of Milam Hall, the collection provides an up-close look at clothing and textiles from the 17th century onwards. Whether studying 1940s hats or creating their first corset in the sewing lab, students can immerse themselves in beautifully preserved examples of fashion through the ages.
Jennifer Mower, a graduate of OSU with a master’s and PhD in historical and cultural aspects of dress, has managed the collection since 2022. As a design instructor in the College of Business, Mower’s role overseeing the collection is a labor of love, though it only represents a small part of her work.
“When I became manager, it felt like a dream come true,” Mower said. “While I knew about the collection as a student, it wasn’t well known on campus or in the local community.” Since then, Mower has worked to increase its visibility, partnering with campus and community groups to showcase the collection in new ways. Many pieces are now digitally cataloged on the Oregon Digital site, allowing Mower to focus on expanding and enhancing the collection further.
During winter term, students in Mower’s historic fashion class curate small collections focused on a particular decade from the 20th century. These curated pieces are then displayed for the OSU community, with one student’s collection selected by the director of the Corvallis Museum to be showcased there as well.
Mower is also keen to bring the collection beyond traditional exhibition spaces. Last year, she worked with the Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Center to explore how clothing reflects cultural identity. This collaboration resulted in a fashion show featuring garments from Korea, India, and China.
“I’m hoping to expand these types of collaborations,” Mower said. “The more people can see how clothing shapes identity, the more we can connect fashion history with the community.”
The collection, which began as a space for faculty to donate clothing they had collected over the years, has grown to fill two rooms in Milam Hall, though space is now at a premium. Mower is selective about what items she accepts, focusing on those that fill gaps in the collection or have historical connections to Oregon State or Corvallis. Recently, she acquired a large collection of vintage hats from a local resident who had spent a lifetime collecting millinery pieces.
Mower’s long-term goal is to remodel the Milam space to allow for more room and better storage. She hopes to replace aging wood cabinets, which aren’t ideal for storing delicate textiles, with metal ones and expand the space’s public exhibition areas. However, these changes will take time and require funding, so Mower continues to focus on finding new ways to share the collection’s resources with students and the local community.
“The College of Business sees the collection’s potential, but we’re looking for what comes next,” Mower said. “Right now, I’m focused on making sure people know we’re here and that the collection has a strong connection to OSU and Corvallis.”
Through the end of November, a student-curated collection of mourning clothes will be on display in the Dean’s Suite on the fourth floor of Austin Hall. In winter term, additional student-curated collections will be featured on the second floor of Milam Hall.
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