For immediate use
Wilson Library exhibition and lecture to feature a century of UNC-Chapel Hill fashion
(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Feb. 18, 2016) – A spring exhibition in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library will look at campus history through a century of Carolina style. “From Frock Coats to Flip-flops: 100 Years of Fashion at Carolina” will be on view in the North Carolina Collection Gallery Feb. 25 – June 5.
Along with photographs, news ads, articles and excerpts from old student handbooks, the exhibition will feature nearly 60 clothing items that are part of the Library’s collections or that are on loan from alumni.
The artifacts include a walking stick from the class of 1923; varsity sweaters from 1925 to 1957; 16 t-shirts; and the cheerleading uniform belonging to Bernie Oakley, who was removed from the squad in 1970 for refusing to cut his long hair before eventually being reinstated.
Linda Jacobson, keeper of the North Carolina Collection Gallery and one of the exhibition’s organizers, said the exhibition reflects social history, with a trend toward increasing diversity and decreasing formality as the century progressed.
“What students wore reveals a great deal about their world and their experience,” said Jacobson.
To complement the exhibition, esteemed fashion designer Alexander Julian, UNC-Chapel Hill Class of 1969, will deliver the lecture “The Threads of Carolina Style” at 5:30 p.m. on April 19 in the Pleasants Family Assembly Room.
Julian’s parents opened the iconic Julian’s clothing store on Franklin Street in 1942. It was his idea to incorporate argyle into Tar Heel basketball uniforms when he refreshed the uniform design for the 1991-92 season. In 2015, Carolina redesigned all athletic uniforms to include the now-iconic diamonds.
The talk is the 2016 Gladys Hall Coates University History Lecture. A reception and exhibition viewing will begin at 5 p.m.
Both the exhibition and lecture are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Wilson Library at (919) 962-3765 or wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
-Carolina-
Exhibition information: http://blogs.lib.unc.edu/news/index.php/2016/02/fashion-exhibit/
About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 113 master’s, 68 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty – including two Nobel laureates – staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 308,000 alumni live in all 50 states and 150 countries. More than 167,000 live in North Carolina.
Library contact: Linda Jacobson, (919) 962-0104, ljacobso@email.unc.edu
Communications and Public Affairs contact: MC VanGraafeiland, (919) 962-7090, mc.vangraafeiland@unc.edu