Join us for an illustrated gallery talk with Rebecca J. Kelly highlighting connections between the American fashion and automotive industries from 1950 - 1970.  The austerity of the war years gave way to more lavish and glamorous designs in both fashion and cars.  After years in practical clothing and "mending and making do," American women embraced the decadent new post-war silhouette promoted by Parisian couturier Christian Dior.  American sportswear designers also gained footing as cultural shifts propelled the popularity of leisure and casual clothing.  From car coats to playsuits, headscarves, and sunglasses, American women were smartly dressed and ready to cruise. The careers of American fashion designers such as Elizabeth Hawes, Claire McCardell, and Bonnie Cashin will be highlighted.  

Rebecca J. Kelly is a textile and dress historian focused on the study of 19th and 20th century textiles, trade, and retail history. She is particularly interested in the birth of American fashion and revealing the work of under-recognized women fashion and textile designers.

She holds a BA in Art History as well as an MS from the department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design at the University of Rhode Island. Rebecca was co-curator of the 2021 exhibition Women Take the Wheel: Fashion, Modernity and the Automobile 1905 – 1945.