Textiles and Clothing Museum

The Textiles and Clothing Museum is comprised of a 9,000 object collection including clothing, textiles, accessories, and other dress-related items spanning from the 18th century until the present. The museum has numerous spaces including the Mary Alice Gallery, The Donna R. Danielson conservation laboratory, and the Waldee storage facility. The collection primarily serves as a teaching tool for the Apparel, Merchandising, and Design curriculum where students engage in interactive, object-based learning. The collection is accessible to students, faculty, and other scholars. Students utilize the collection for vintage inspiration and learning about fashion innovations throughout history. Students also learn through research and curating fashion exhibitions.

We are a student centered museum and collection! Students are welcome and encouraged to come learn with our resources. We are here to support undergraduate and graduate education!

Spring 2025 Open Collection Hours

March 3, 2025 until May 9, 2025 (excluding spring break and holidays)

The undergraduate collection student assistants for Spring 2024: Sophia Strathearn (she/they) and Ashante Leng (she)

  • Monday: 9:00am-12:30pm, 1:30pm-4:00pm
  • Tuesdays: 1:00-5:00pm
  • Wednesdays: 1:00-4:30pm
  • Thursdays: 2:30-5:30pm
  • Fridays: 9:00am-4:00pm

Stop by Morrill Hall 0017 during open hours to get a tour of the collection, ask a question, browse our objects, or study a specific object for class! Our student assistants will be there to help you find your way! Everyone at the university is welcome!

Our collection hours are hosted by students. Therefore, if you arrive and the door is closed, they may have unexpectedly needed to prioritize their own classes. Since they are students, their education comes first! Please email Dr. Reddy-Best and she can help you determine the next time the collection will be open.

Photography License Information

All ISU Textile and Clothing Museum photographs are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This license allows anyone to share (copy and redistribute) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon) the photographs for free so long as you provide appropriate credit, which should include a link to the Textile and Clothing Museum website, a link to the Creative Commons license, and a note to indicate if changes were made to the original photograph.

Sample attribution statement: “[ITEM TITLE]” photo was provided by the ISU Textile and Clothing Museum, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.” 

If you have adapted the photo, you may provide additional information such as “Cropped by [YOUR NAME] to showcase stitching detail on the piece.