It’s not every day that Tulane University students get a glimpse of what the past looked like. Last week, I stood on the second floor of Joseph Merrick Jones Hall, surrounded by photographs, clothing and pink satin, and imagined what campus clothing looked like sixty years ago or what department stores I’d be shopping at back then. All this pondering was prompted by a new exhibit opened by Tulane University Special Collections.

The exhibit, titled “Cut from a Different Cloth: Fashion Selections from Tulane Special Collections” was curated by Faye Daigle and Kevin Williams and is free and open to the public. It showcases an eclectic mix of archival materials related to campus fashion, carnival fashion, New Orleans nightlife and more.  

The exhibit opened on Sept. 11 and is open until May 29 of next year. It includes clothing items including a jacket worn by New Orleans jazz artist Louis Prima and old Tulane cheerleading outfits. It also includes photographs, paper advertisements and accessories related to fashion in New Orleans. Some highlights include old department store catalogues, a selection of fans and old carnival favors.  

Each section of the exhibit touches on a different intersection between fashion and life in New Orleans. One section of the exhibit is dedicated to nightlife fashion, showcasing photographs of old clubs, including the Dew Drop Inn, and articles about different performers who did shows at these clubs. There is also a section on the work of home seamstresses, who often did seamstress work in addition to their other obligations. This section also contains old sewing implements and information about the Mardi Gras Indians.   

 Another section showcased high-class fashion in New Orleans, including ornate silk fans and pictures and drawings of splendid ballgowns. There is also an entire section dedicated to clothing on campus, which contains old pictures from Tulane and Newcomb College yearbooks from different decades to showcase changes in campus style across time.  

One of my favorite things about this exhibit is seeing how history and fashion intersect. My personal favorite artifact was a silk fan with the names of people written on each fold of the fan. It reminded me that part of what makes both history and fashion interesting is their connection to humanity and that they provide a window into other people’s lives, no matter how far removed I am from them.  

Next time you are looking for something to do, swing by the exhibit and see how fashion has changed in the city.