Seattle Style: Fashion/Function highlights how elegance and
practicality coexisted and converged in Seattle wardrobes, providing new
insights into local clothing, ranging from couture, to outdoor gear, to
denim. The book features over fifty garments and accessories from the
Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) collection, revealing captivating
stories about the city's sartorial spirit.
Organized into four main sections, Seattle Style surveys key
influences on local clothing. "Nature and Place" explores the
relationship with our environment and garments designed for outdoor
adventures; "Growth and Aspiration" tells stories about how clothing
options expanded as Seattle became increasingly metropolitan; "Northwest
Casual" takes a deeper look at the city's affinity for casualwear and
its leadership in the casual clothing industry; and "Innovators and Rule
Breakers" celebrates Seattle's creative problem solvers and
nonconformists. Alone, few of these elements are unique to Seattle, but
woven together, a distinct local story emerges.
Seattle Style: Fashion/Function is the most significant work yet
compiled on dress and the clothing history of the Seattle area and is a
companion to the exhibition at MOHAI.